Early snow a dream run for skiers at Mt Hutt, New Zealand

HEAVY snow has coated New Zealand's Mt Hutt Ski Area trails months before the official season starts to the delight of skiers.

A HEAVY snowfall has coated New Zealand's Mt Hutt Ski Area trails months before the official season starts, to the delight of skiers who had the slopes all to themselves.

Drops of about 50cm transformed the mountain on the weekend, stuff.co.nz reported.

Four "ski addicts" - including Ryan Grice, 32, made the most of the situation by spending the past two days skiing and snowboarding down the deserted mountain.

"Being a snowboarder, you hang out all summer for snow and you never get a whole mountain to yourself, so it's pretty awesome," Mr Grice said.

Fellow skier Paul Collins, who celebrated his 63rd birthday on Sunday by a ski run, said it was the first time in his 25 years of hitting the slopes that it had ever been a possibility to ski on his special day.

Mr Collins said it was a "pretty awesome" present.

Mt Hutt Ski Area marketing manager James Urquhart said the snowfall was a "big novelty" at this time of year.

The New Zealand ski season usually runs from June to October.

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