New Zealand Ski Areas Overview

North Island

1. Central North Island The central North Island boasts New Zealand’s largest and highest ski areas and you can ski on a live volcano! Ski areas in the central North Island are Whakapapa Ski Area, Turoa Ski Area and Tukino Ski Field.

2. Taranaki Great snowboarding is to be had on Mount Taranaki at Manganui Ski Area. Here, you can snowboard in the morning and surf in the afternoon!

South Island

3. Nelson Just a snowball’s throw from Nelson Lakes National Park lies Rainbow Ski Area with its uncrowded ski slopes.

4. Canterbury Boasting ten brilliant ski areas, Canterbury offers New Zealand’s biggest variety of ski areas, so skiers and snowboarders are spoilt for choice! The following ski areas are to be found in the Canterbury region: Hanmer Springs Ski Area, Mt Lyford, Broken River, Craigieburn Valley Ski Area, Temple Basin, Mount Cheeseman, Mount Olympus, Porters, Mount Hutt and Helipark New Zealand.

5. Mackenzie New Zealand’s highest mountain, skiing on glaciers and snowboarding in remote backcountry – the Mackenzie region has it all. Blue lakes and mountains are an awesome scenic backdrop for Fox Peak Ski Field, Mount Dobson Ski Area, Roundhill Ski Area, Ohau Snow Fields and Awakino Ski Area.

6. Southern Lakes The region around winter ski resorts Queenstown and Wanaka offers six diverse ski areas and New Zealand’s biggest winter event, the Queenstown Winter Festival. Downhill, freestyle and cross-country action await at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Treble Cone Ski Area, Snow Park NZ and Snow Farm Ski Area.

To find out more about all New Zealand ski areas, browse New Zealand Ski Areas – Essential Info.

Indoor Skiing

New Zealand’s biggest city, Auckland, is not only the gateway city for most New Zealand visitors but also offers indoor skiing. The slopes of Snowplanet's Snowdome offer lifts, terrain parks and a snow school for private and group ski lessons.

Mountain Transport

Getting to New Zealand's ski areas is easy. You'll find heaps of mountain shuttles up the slopes. Many ski shuttle operators offer packages including gear hire and lift passes. Check out the websites of individual ski areas to find out more about public mountain transport and snow shuttles. Of course you can also rent a car. Many operators can provide you with ski racks and snow chains. Do make sure to carry the latter as tyre chains might be required on ski field access roads.

New Zealand Club Ski Fields List

From the North Island to the South Island, there are ten club ski areas amongst New Zealand's 26 ski areas. Everyone is welcome to ski and board on club ski fields – you don't have to be a member. Here's a quick list of New Zealand club ski areas:

Tukino Ski Field (Mt Ruapehu), Manganui Ski Area (Taranaki), Rainbow Ski Area (Nelson) and Fox Peak Ski Field (Mackenzie). In Canterbury, there are six club ski fields: Broken River, Craigieburn Valley Ski Area, Hamner Springs Ski Area, Mount Cheeseman, Mount Olympus and Temple Basin.