Skiing in New Zealand

Welcome to the complete guide to New Zealand ski areas, snow reports and New Zealand skiing and snowboarding!

View our ski area comparison guide to find the best ski area for you, book your ski pass online, and find information on each New Zealand ski region below. 

• North Island Ski Areas • Mackenzie Ski Areas
• North Canterbury Ski Areas • Wanaka Ski Areas
• Canterbury Ski Areas • Queenstown Ski Areas

 

Skiing in New Zealand

Welcome to your complete New Zealand skiing guide!

Start your New Zealand ski holiday right now and book your ski pass or lesson package online!

If you're looking for a New Zealand ski vacation package, check out Skiwi, or design and book your own skiing holiday with Ski New Zealand.

Find out which NZ ski area is best for you with our New Zealand Ski Area Comparison Guide, or browse our New Zealand ski lift rates and ski hire prices (right) to get the best value for money.

View our up-to-date New Zealand snow reports or for more detailed conditions and reports on all of NZ's top ski areas, visit www.snowreports.co.nz.

And for a real glimpse at what to expect, check out our awesome New Zealand ski videos!
 

Book Accommodation for your Ski Holiday>> 

 

Browse New Zealand Ski Listings

  • Alpine Heli-ski

    Heli-Skiing (17)

    Take to the back country with a wild New Zealand heli-skiing adventure!
  • Mt Ruapehu Skiing

    Ski Areas (33)

    Choose from one of New Zealand's world class ski areas.
  • Cardrona snowboard crew

    Ski/Board Hire (28)

    Get fit out with all the right gear for your New Zealand ski or snowboard adventure.
  • Helicopter in Mt Cook National Park

    Ski Guiding & Tours (29)

    Take a guided ski tour to experience the very best of New Zealand's back country conditions.
  • Ohau snow fields, near Twizel

    Ski Transport (23)

    Find a bus, shuttle or transport service to get you up the field and home again.

 

 

Ski Locations in New Zealand

 

 

Why Ski in New Zealand?

Commercial New Zealand ski areas, such as The Remarkables or Coronet Peak, all have their own distinct character. Most offer world class facilities including snowmaking, state-of-the-art snow grooming, and comprehensive base and dining facilities.

The smaller, club fields  - like Temple Basin or Mt Cheeseman - are often run by a group of enthusiasts and have simple facilities such as rope tow or T-bar lifts, generally no snow grooming, but good day lodges and often a more social atmosphere.
 

Snowboarding in New Zealand

Snowboarding in New Zealand is a popular winter activity. All New Zealand ski areas cater for snowboarding to some extent (in some cases better than skiers) and you’ll find good riding at them all. 

Ohau in the central South Island, and Wanaka - near Queenstown - are both known as top snowboarding areas. In Wanaka, Cardrona is one of the most popular snowboarding fields, with a number of pipes and parks specifically for boarders of all levels. Across the valley, Snow Park has purpose-built facilities.
 

When to Ski in New Zealand

The New Zealand ski season generally runs from June through to late October. Conditions permitting, the major commercial ski areas usually begin opening in early June, with the smaller ski areas opening in late June or early July.

June and July, being colder (although still comparatively mild), can offer some good powder skiing. August is the peak month in which to ski, and September and October offer a variety of skiing, from spring skiing conditions to wintery powder - depending on the weather! In a good season Whakapapa will open at Christmas (because of its higher altitude) for summer skiing, while some other areas open for mountain biking.

When not to ski...

Skiing is popular in New Zealand, so plan your ski vacation to avoid the busy school holiday periods if possible.