new zealand winters
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New
Zealand skiing probably offers the best the Southern Hemisphere has to
offer and although the areas are smaller than in Europe, the backcountry
skiing is spectacular.
Whakapapa at Mt Ruapehu is the largest resort in the country. 200 miles
from Auckland in the North Island, it has 20 lifts, including a high-speed
quad and regularly gets late-season snow.
Heading to the South Island, Mount Hutt is only an hour's drive from Christchurch
and 40 mins from Methven. With 4.5m average snowfall per year, the lively
approach road is worth taking on for the chance to try out the excellent
terrain out the back of South Face. The resort has
a good record as being one of the first to open in the Southern Hemisphere.
Further
south is Queenstown, New Zealand's
self-proclaimed Xtreme sports capital. From here Coronet Peak, Treble
Cone and the Remarkables are all within a short drive, plus there's rafting,
bungee jumping and a massive number of bars to keep you occupied. Advanced
skiers will want to check out The Remarkables for some great backcountry
skiing, while Treble Cone is probably the most challenging field in the
area with some excellent steep terrain.
The
breathtaking scenery, Kiwi hospitality and the sense of isolation you
get in Wanaka make it less a tourist
destination and more like a typical resort. Treble Cone is still close,
but Cardrona is the closest resort.
There are over 20 ski fields in New Zealand. As well as the major stations,
Natives reporter, Tom Greenall, has visited and given us his
impressions of some of the smaller fields like Craigieburn, Porter
Heights and Mt Lyford.
For more detail on all the the main ski areas, check out Zoe
Watson's report on working seasons in NZ
Most resorts open up in early-June and are in full swing by July. The
season runs until mid-October, although up in the North Island there's
often still snow late-on (2001
| 2002).
Most opening dates are covered on our events
page.
Features
Tom
Greenall's Views - Tom reviews the biggest and smallest NZ resorts
Queenstown Resort Guide - Work,
rest and play (by Jenny Byers)
Surviving in Queenstown - Rich
shares his top tips
Wanaka Resort Guide - Work, rest
and play (by Doug Brice)
Nutcrackers,
Towbelts and Ropetows - Tom Greenall on NZ's quirky lifts
Queenstown - 'what to do & where to ski'
- from Evan at Kiwinewz
The History of Skiing in New Zealand
Doing Seasons Kiwi Stylee
- by Zoe Watson
NZ Update - Updates on life in NZ in
2000/2001
If you're looking to work in NZ, you'll need a Working Holiday Visa. These are usually easy to obtain if you are under 30, and the NZ government recently increased the UK quota by thousand to 9000 per year. Apply at the NZ immigration website.
British passport holders not intending to work are automatically granted a Visitors Permit on arrival, valid for 6 months.
British citizens up to 35 years old, including those that have already held the once in a lifetime Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand, can now apply for a 12 month Work Exchange Visa for New Zealand, available exclusively through BUNAC.
Insurance
If you are skiing in NZ, you must have adequate insurance. The type of
policy depends how long you are heading out for, but for trips of less
than 90 days we recommend Annual
Insurance. Rates are good and include up to 21 days' skiing on each
trip.
If you are going for a longer period, then the Young
Traveller policy (up to 45 years old!) offers good year round cover.
This is available from £169 for 1 year's travelling.
Tom Greenall's View
Regular
Natives will know Tom from his regular Chamonix reports. In 2002, Tom
dropped into some of NZ's largest and smallest resorts to give us his
impressions.
Broken River
Coronet Peak
Craigieburn
Mt Cheeseman
Mount Hutt
Mount Hutt
(again)
Mt Lyford
Mt Olympus
Porter Heights
The Remarkables
Treble Cone
Club des Saisonniers
Check the CdS for Kiwis
or members who have worked in Queenstown,
Treble
Cone or Mt
Hutt
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