Christchurch Ski & Ride

Christchurch City & New Zealand's Southern Alps

With over 90 direct flights a week from Australia and over 600 flights from around New Zealand, your South Island winter escape has never been more accessible. Christchurch ski fields are the perfect gateway to start your New Zealand ski and snowboard holiday of a lifetime. With 9 nearby amazing ski areas to explore, visit Christchurch the boutique city with the big backyard.

Porters – 1 hour 15 minutes from Christchurch
If you’ve never had a winter ski or snowboard experience Porters is a great place to start, with facilities for all levels of skiing and riding. For the intermediate skier or boarder, Porters has a huge variety of runs accessed by three T-bars. Groomed trails are accessible from top to bottom. For the more advanced skier and snowboarder try Big Mama. It is one of the longest runs in the Southern Hemisphere (620m vertical). If you want even steeper, then Bluff Face is a 38 degree run.

Mt Hutt – 1 hour 30 minutes from Christchurch
Mt Hutt ski field offers amazing variety of terrain, extreme skiers and riders head for the steeper challenges of the double black diamond runs of the South Face, while intermediates take on some of the widest groomed slopes in the country and novices can enjoy the dedicated beginner areas and novice trails. Mt Hutt’s licensed Skiwiland Crèche, kid’s facilities and family discounts make it popular with families, and children aged six and under receive free day lift passes.

Mt Cheeseman – 1 hour 30 minutes from Christchurch
Great beginner and intermediate slopes with user friendly facilities and a brand new day lodge make Mt Cheeseman perfect for learners and families. Half of the ski areas slopes are groomed intermediate runs. The slopes are ideal for people who like relaxed, enjoyable skiing on gentle terrain. Mt Cockayne, above the first T Bar, holds a lot of snow and offers great off-piste terrain. If you keen to taste a bit of backcountry with little effort, drop into Tarn Basin.

Broken River – 1 hour 30 minutes from Christchurch
Broken River accesses two fantastic, large powder bowls (Broken River Basin & Allan’s Basin). They are well sheltered from the wind, hold plenty of snow, and are regularly topped up by Broken River’s snow making machine, the prevailing wind! The learner/novice slopes are groomed and located beside Broken River’s day lodge, Palmer Lodge. There are 3 rope tows in the main basin, with access to ideal off-piste intermediate skiing. The Ridge Tow takes you to Allan’s Basin with excellent terrain for the adventurous rider.

Craigieburn Valley – 1 hour 30 minutes from Christchurch
Craigieburn Valley has achieved an awesome reputation for challenging skiing & snowboarding. There are narrow chutes and wide open powder bowls, including the infamous 600m vertical descent of Middle Basin. Craigieburn is not recommended for beginners. The tows are fast and previous experience with rope tows is recommended. If you like intermediate off-piste conditions, the runs in the Siberia Basin and below the day lodge are perfect. If you are an advanced or expert rider then Craigieburn is your holy grail.

Mt Lyford – 1 hour 40 minutes from Christchurch
Lyford Alpine Resort is considered New Zealand’s first true alpine development. The large ski area is serviced by one T-bar, one Poma, two Platters, and one fixed grip learner’s tow. They access a wide variety of learner and intermediate terrain, plus there is a rope tow for advanced skiing and riding in the Terako Basin. The Wild Ride Terrain Park has been developed around natural terrain with purpose built jumps, kickers, rails and half pipe to cater for snowboarders and skiers alike. For those not skiing there’s also snow tubing on offer.

Hanmer Springs Ski Area – 2 hours from Christchurch
Hanmer Springs is a small, friendly and spacious ski area, a great place to learn to ski or snowboard, and to bring the family for a weekend away. From the top of the Poma lift there are great views of the surrounding mountains and from the back run you’ll see the distant peaks of the Nelson Lakes National Park. There are several groomed runs, and plenty of off piste area for the more advanced skiers and riders. The beginner’s area is beside the Day Lodge with excellent open terrain for kids.

Mt Olympus – 2 hour drive from Christchurch
Mt Olympus has a wide open south facing bowl which captures some of the best southerly powder in Canterbury. Half way up the mountain, is the warm Top Hut Lodge, and adjacent beginners slope, which are reached via the Access Tow. The rest of the mountain is suitable for intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders. The varied terrain includes long runs down Main Face and Back Basin, and bumps, jumps and rollers through Demolition. If you prefer chutes and the more extreme lines, you can take a hike to Little Alaska or The Sphinx. Night skiing is accessible if you’re staying on the mountain.

Temple Basin – 2 hours from Christchurch
Temple Basin is situated right on the Main Divide, Arthur’s Pass National Park. You walk about 45-60 minutes up to the ski area from the car park on State Highway 73, 4kms west of Arthur's Pass Village. A goods lift carries your gear. The walk is a great warm up and it is worth staying in the mountain lodges for a few nights. Temple Tow and Cassidy Tow are right beside the lodges, allowing easy access to the ski area. The ski area offers an excellent variety of terrain spread over four basins - from gentle beginner slopes to the challenges of steep basins and a complex system of chutes.