Snowboarding in NZ

OilyRagMan

Original Poster

3,846 posts

260 months

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Sunday 16th March 2008

Im thinking of coming over to NZ for a bit of snowboarding this summer possibly tie it in with the england NZ summer rugby tests. When does the ski season start and where are the best places to go for an intermeidate boarder. and any other bits of info you have would be great.

Thanks
Alex

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

265 months

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Sunday 16th March 2008

OilyRagMan said:

Im thinking of coming over to NZ for a bit of snowboarding this summer possibly tie it in with the england NZ summer rugby tests. When does the ski season start and where are the best places to go for an intermeidate boarder. and any other bits of info you have would be great.

Thanks
Alex

Oooh...

Season starts the end of May, if your lucky. The big commecial fields usualy open June but it doesnt usualy get good until September if at all.

North island is limited, realy only 2 places to Ski/board, Ruapehu slopes and Taranaki. http://www.mtruapehu.com/ Ruapehu is large for NZ and isnt known for its flash powder days either.

South Island has a lot more choice.
http://www.snow.co.nz/
http://www.chillout.co.nz/

Best runs are the club fields but thats usualy a tough & challenging day.

In Cantabury You've got Mt Hutt which is a 'large' commercial field with 3 chair lifts and a range of terrain, and the club fields which are usualy rope tows, pommers & tbars. Some of the better terain.

Some in mid/lower SI , Mt Dobson/roundhill etc which are nice.

Then you have the Queenstown/Wanaka (trebblecone etc) fields which are very commercial and rightin the most beutifull scenic area of the south island (wanaka is the best).

Coming for snow (& scenery) I'd say go to Wanaka in September or so...

Ffirg 005

2,013 posts

262 months

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Monday 17th March 2008

RobDickinson said:

OilyRagMan said:

Im thinking of coming over to NZ for a bit of snowboarding this summer possibly tie it in with the england NZ summer rugby tests. When does the ski season start and where are the best places to go for an intermeidate boarder. and any other bits of info you have would be great.

Thanks
Alex

Oooh...

Season starts the end of May, if your lucky. The big commecial fields usualy open June but it doesnt usualy get good until September if at all.

North island is limited, realy only 2 places to Ski/board, Ruapehu slopes and Taranaki. http://www.mtruapehu.com/ Ruapehu is large for NZ and isnt known for its flash powder days either.

South Island has a lot more choice.
http://www.snow.co.nz/
http://www.chillout.co.nz/

Best runs are the club fields but thats usualy a tough & challenging day.

In Cantabury You've got Mt Hutt which is a 'large' commercial field with 3 chair lifts and a range of terrain, and the club fields which are usualy rope tows, pommers & tbars. Some of the better terain.

Some in mid/lower SI , Mt Dobson/roundhill etc which are nice.

Then you have the Queenstown/Wanaka (trebblecone etc) fields which are very commercial and rightin the most beutifull scenic area of the south island (wanaka is the best).

Coming for snow (& scenery) I'd say go to Wanaka in September or so...

You want to avoid school holidays if possible which start late Sept. Plan to go sometime mid Aug - mid Sep and you'll give yourself the best odds of finding good snow.

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

265 months

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Monday 17th March 2008

Hmm hadnt thought about school hols, dont have kids.

NZ's Ski season isnt a nailed on thing like Canada's, some years its great some its dodgy, but utualy the southern fields have a decent base by Mid August.

Ffirg 005

2,013 posts

262 months

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Monday 17th March 2008

RobDickinson said:

Hmm hadnt thought about school hols, dont have kids.

Me neither... I've just spent way too much time over the years standing around with them in queues wink