Archive for July, 2009

The New Zealand Ski Season

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

If you are considering snowboarding or skiing in New Zealand you will need to know about how the ski season works.

In the past few years New Zealand has shared the World’s changing climate conditions. Our ski season has actually been extended several times recently due to more snow over a longer period of time.

Our Ski Season typically runs from June through to November. However it isn’t uncommon to have ‘Xmas Skiing and Snowboarding’. It seems unbelievable given that Xmas time for us used to be hot temperatures. But in New Zealand we have found that it is only starting to get warmer in January/Febuary.

This is great for skiiers and snowboarders though!

The North Island Ski fields tend to stay open longer than the South Island fields. This is largely due to the fact that the North Island fields have a deeper base of snow for the season. I actually prefer the South Island ski fields though because the snow quality is much better. It is drier and the snow is much more powdery. The North Island fields are fine though – I just recommend giving the snow an hour or two to melt down a bit in the mornings – as the conditions are often icy and not very enjoyable to ski or snowboard on.

There are ski passes available for each field. Because we have so many different ski fields in New Zealand there is no universal pass – although you can get a pass that covers all of the main fields.

The New Zealand ski season tends to get really good in July / August after there has been a decent dumping of snow. If you go to early you’ll end up scratching your gear on rocks or just being a bit disappointed by the lack of snow in some areas.

You can keep tabs on the day to day conditions via any of the main ski field websites (see links to the right of this page). There is a famous song in New Zealand called ‘Four Seasons in One Day’ sung by Crowded House… the song has a lot of truth to it so don’t be surprised by the unpredictable nature of our weather! That’s not to say we don’t have good days on the mountain.. but we get our fair share of average days too. You just have to keep tabs on the weather.. and plan ahead a little bit.

I hope this has given you a better idea on the New Zealand Ski Season.. leave a comment if you have a question and I’ll be happy to help you out!

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Snowboarding in New Zealand Rocks!

Friday, July 10th, 2009

If you have been thinking about snowboarding in New Zealand then I suggest you stop thinking and start organising the trip!

There are a few things that make snowboarding in New Zealand absolutely incredible…

Everyone knows that New Zealand has some of the most amazing landscapes in the world.. but just imagine when you are a few thousand feet in the sky and looking over the land. It is something you need to witness for yourself. When you sit down for a minute and take a break from snowboarding you get a stunning view. I wish that I could put it into words, but no words can describe the view. You’ll just have to come and check it out!

Another thing you will love about New Zealand and the ski fields here is that they are not overcrowded. The weekends certainly pick up and are busier, but by international comparisons they are not busy at all. And if you can spare time during the week – you are in for a real treat! Most days you will have the mountain to yourself (or at least it will feel like that). It is one of the most peaceful yet exhilarating things when you are up there on a quiet day. I am not a religious person, but I can say that when I am snowboarding on a New Zealand mountain I feel close to God. It is an amazing experience.

Now that you are seriously looking at snowboarding in New Zealand – you need to think about locations. We have the North and South Islands in case you aren’t familiar with our Country. In the North Island we have ‘Mt Ruapehu’ which has the two main ski fields of the North Island. These ski fields are called Turoa and Whakapapa. Whakapapa is north-west facing, while Turoa is more South East. Personally I find the Turoa fields more enjoyable. I find their fields more open and they have more variety. However you do get a beautiful sunset on the Whakapapa side!

The South Island of New Zealand has an abundance of ski fields. Some of the main fields are based around the towns of Queenstown and Christchurch. Queenstown is in the far south – in a region called Otago. If you are familiar with the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies then you have seen some very stunning shots of the South Island. Let me tell you that they are just as stunning in real life – actually MORE stunning. Near Queenstown you have two main ski fields – which are called ‘Treble Cone’ and ‘Cardrona’. Treble Cone is geared more towards the intermediate – advanced snowboarders and skiiers. Cardrona has much more variety and space I have found. Both fields offer amazing experiences though.

The quality of the snow in the South Island seems to be more consistent. It tends to be much drier and powdery (is that a word?). On many of the North Island ski fields you have to wait for a couple of hours when the fields first open because everything is just ice and that is no fun at all!

There is heaps more information I would like to share – and I am sure you have questions. Send me an email at sean@snowgeek.co.nz and tell me what you want to know about. It would be a pleasure to help you find out more about Snowboarding in New Zealand!

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The Historic First Post of SnowGeek.co.nz!

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Welcome to SnowGeek.co.nz

Here you can find everything you need to know about skiing, snowboarding and all the related tours, packages, accommodation, ski fields that are available to you in New Zealand.

I have created this website for you because I am a passionate snowboarder AND skiier, I love New Zealand and what it has to offer – especially all our ski fields. There is nothing else like it in the world!

I live in Hamilton, which is in the middle of the North Island. I am about 3 hours away from the closest ski fields at Mt Ruapehu – but the drive is always worthwhile!

If you have any questions whatsoever about skiing and snowboarding adventures in New Zealand… give me a shout. I’ll try and help you as best I can!

Thanks for reading

Sean Williams

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