Skiers revel in best conditions in years

A heavy blanket of snow on New Zealand’s Southern Alps has skiers and snowboarders revelling in some of the best conditions in years.

“This is the best start to the season we’ve had in eight years,’’ says Mt Hutt Ski Area manager Dave Wilson.

“Conditions on the mountain are great.”  “We’ve got a 1.6m base and all our trails open – the snow gods have truly blessed us this winter.’’

Mt Hutt, near Methven in the Canterbury region of the South Island, is regarded as one of New Zealand’s best ski fields.

It’s one of the highest ski fields in the Southern Hemisphere and its altitude, combined with its battalion of snow guns, guarantees there is a healthy coverage of snow throughout the winter months.

With such reliable conditions for skiing and snowboarding, the number of Australians visiting the ski field for skiing holidays has been increasing steadily each year.

And they’re in good company.

American skier and World Cup holder Bode Miller is training at Mt Hutt this winter, as is the Austrian and Norwegian downhill ski teams.

Conditions on the mountain are so good that next month the Austrian and Norwegian downhill ski teams will be training there.

The ski field has beginner, intermediate and advanced slopes, a new six-seater chairlift, various other lifts and heliskiing to slopes further afield.

The wide open faces are good for those learning to snowboard. Two new terraces have been added to the main park, including new rails for intermediate riders.  It’s also got a new terrain park which has been designed around optimum landing angles with jumps catering for skiers and snowboarders at all skill levels.

Canterbury’s 13 other ski fields are also enjoying a bumper start to the season.

At Porters’, just over an hours drive from Christchurch, heavy snowfalls over the last few days has left the mountain with an average metre-deep snow base. ‘Big Mama’, the longest single ski run in the Southern hemisphere at 620 vertical metres, offers amazing skiing and riding, plus the newly re-developed ‘Porters Community Park’ offers skiers and riders a great platform to progress their freestyle skills.

“Skiers are absolutely stoked with the conditions on the mountain,’’ says Porters’ Marketing Manager, Guy Nurse.

“We’ve had a great start to the winter and couldn’t be happier with the amount and quality of snow on offer at present.’’

Perfect for the whole family, Porters offers extensive terrain for you no matter what your ability level.

From a complete novice progressing through the Porters Passport programme, to a seasoned pro looking for challenging, advanced black runs, it’s all on offer at Porters, the closest ski area to Christchuch.

Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism chief executive Christine Prince says with more than a dozen ski fields in the region, few other regions in New Zealand can compete with Canterbury in terms of being a winter destination.

“A lot of investment has gone on in the region’s ski fields and we’ve now got world-class facilities that allow us to offer visitors the experience of a life-time.”

“With cheap trans-Tasman flights now available, there’s never been a better time for Australians to come over here for a winter ski holiday.’’

For more information on skiing and other activities available in Christchurch and Canterbury log onto www.christchurchnz.com.

A Report by The Mole