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How can you adequately describe the perfect ski slope?

New Zealand offers quality, reliable skiing or snowboarding, plenty of lifts, no queues, stunning alpine scenery and legendary apres-ski fun at a fraction of the price you'd pay in most parts of the world.

The NZ ski season opens as early as the end of May and closes as late as November. Early season falls are more suited to beginners and improvers. Serious skiers should aim for the season peak from mid-July to mid-September when powder snow is at its most plentiful. Some of the best skiing can be found in the spring months, especially on the North Island's Turoa and Whakapapa ski areas on Mt Ruapehu. Queenstown in the South Island is a popular base for skiing different ski areas and for partying off the slopes. New Zealand's larger and higher mountains have treeless, uncrowded slopes, longer runs and varied terrain with sensational views.

The commercial ski areas offer highly qualified ski schools, rental equipment, childcare and quality dining options. Lift passes range from NZ$35 to NZ$59, equipment rental is around NZ$28 a day for skis, boots and poles, NZ$40 for snowboard hire, lessons from around NZ$30 for half day group classes to NZ$60 for one-hour individual tuition.

There are also many ski options - you can advance to helicopter or glacier skiing, cross country skiing, night skiing or 'sno cat' skiing where you use snow groomers to access untracked slopes over the back of the Remarkables range near Queenstown.

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Ski Area Feature Summary Chart

Ski Area Detailed Features