5 Day Self Drive Snow Package

Skiing in New Zealand

Ski season in New Zealand generally runs from the end of June to the start of October. The South Island is better known for skiing as it has numerous ski fields within a reasonable distance of each other.

Ski fields in New Zealand are different to those in Europe - we don't have ski resorts but the fields are close to towns such as Christchurch, Queenstown and Wanaka.

You are able to fly into either Christchurch or Queenstown, although the former tends to be cheaper. It takes between 5 and 6 hours to drive from CHCH to Queenstown without breaks, but there are many ski fields in between. These are particularly close to Lake Tekapo and Twizel villages.

Queenstown

Queenstown is known as ‘adventure capital of the world’ for good reason! All year round it is home to a huge variety of different activity operators – including bungy, paragliding, canyon swing, skydiving, horse trekking, Lord of the Rings tours, wine tasting, mountain biking, rafting and so on.

The town becomes an après-ski paradise in winter – with more bars and restaurants per square metre than anywhere else in NZ. There is something going on every night of the week!

Queenstown has two ski fields – Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, both within 40 minutes drive of the town centre. NZSki runs regular coach transport to both. A cafe, restaurant and bar area(s) can be found at both resorts.

Group and private lessons both available for purchase on the day, morning and afternoon.

If you are coming for a short period of time, it is easy to fly into Queenstown and not require a car if you stay centrally - NZSki provides transport to the two ski fields from the centre of town. There are daily coaches between Queenstown and Wanaka if you want to change base and check out different ski fields. However, if you want true independency, or wish to go further than Wanaka (or start in Christchurch), car hire might be a good idea!

Wanaka

Just an hour’s drive from Queenstown, Wanaka offers a slightly more relaxed vibe for skiers and snowboarders. It is smaller in size but again doesn’t lack in its choice of shops, bars and restaurants.

The ski fields nearby include Treble Cone, Cardrona, Snow Park and Snow Farm.

On a bad weather day we recommend checking out Cardrona Adventure Park or Puzzling World, both well established tourism institutions! You can also take to the air with skydiving, acrobatic or scenic flights.

What is driving in New Zealand like?

Generally our roads are very quiet, particularly in the South Island. We drive on the left-hand side of the road and we work in km, not miles. It is easy to navigate between towns due to our simple road network, and even cities like Christchurch are relatively small. You will require snow chains for the access roads to the ski fields (and occasion main roads in bad conditions) but you may be fortunate enough not to need them. The car hire supplier will show you how to put these chains on. Cars are a mixture between manual and automatic. Most hire cars are petrol-fueled, which is approximately N$2 per litre.

What car hire options are there?

Choose from 3 different car hire options to add to your ski package. All come with air-conditioning, radio, power steering, central locking and basic vehicle insurance. Pick up at Queenstown (or Christchurch) airport.

• Nissan Sunny or similar, petrol, 1.5-1.8 litre, 4 door sedan or 5 door hatch.
• Toyota Corolla, petrol, manual, 1.8 litre, 5 door hatch, 2006.
• Toyota RAV4 or similar, petrol, 2.0 litre, 4 door, 1998 or newer.

Snow chains and/or ski racks are a one off payment of N$25 per rental.

Do you offer guided snow tours of this length?

Close - our only South Island snow tour is our 7 day Snow Safari, which departs from Christchurch every week. We do highly recommend this if you have the time as you get a great deal of value for the extra money. There is little need for a guided tour when only visiting Queenstown to ski or ride.

Why choose Haka Tours over other competitors?

We are a small operator - meaning we give greater importance to our customers' satisfaction and don't stick a number on your head. Our accommodation is of a high quality. Because we are NZ owned and operated, we have a personal relationship with our suppliers, and we know the ski scene first hand. Because of this our reviews are first-rate.