Early snowfalls to entice skiers to New Zealand

IT'S a month until the snow season officially starts at Mt Hutt but the white stuff is already falling at the New Zealand ski resort.

mt hutt

IT'S a month until the snow season officially starts at Mt Hutt but the white stuff is already falling at the New Zealand ski resort.

The first snow fell on the South Island mountain four weeks ago, with 20cm covering the Mt Hutt base buildings and 1m snowdrifts at the top of the Summit Six chair during the middle weekend in April, while a gaggle of keen skiers and boarders trekked to the top of the hill to get the first tracks of this year's winter season. NZSki CEO James Coddington says the early snow is reason for Australians planning a New Zealand winter getaway to celebrate. "It's always difficult to predict (what the snow season will do) but let's hope it is an early sign of things to come," he says. "It's fantastic to see some white gold on our mountains at this early stage and it's certainly a reminder to all that winter's on its way." Mt Hutt, at the foot of New Zealand's Southern Alps in Canterbury, is a 35-minute drive from the neighbouring town of Methven and a two-hour journey from Christchurch where flights arrive directly from Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Locals boast the destination, which has 365ha of skiable terrain, gets some of the best snow in Australasia and views across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean give those exploring the slopes an incredible feeling of space. James Urquhart, general manager of operations at Mt Hutt, says that in addition to a reliable season the resort has something for everyone. "It's the only mountain on the South Island that has double black diamond runs inside the boundary," he says. "Mt Hutt is also a family-friendly place, with 75 per cent of the terrain suited to beginners and intermediates, and we have the Kids 4 Free campaign happening again in 2013. "The Kids 4 Free could save the average family $120 a day for each child aged 10 and under with kids getting free travel to and from the airport, free accommodation and meals around Methven, free ski rental, and free lift tickets on the mountain. "Mt Hutt has the longest season of the South Island resorts - it will open on June 15 and close on October 6, but we were skiing until December 15 in 2012 - and we get the most snow because of the location and height of the mountain." Urquhart says while it is possible to stay in Christchurch and ski the assorted resorts that dot the peaks around the South Island metropolis, it's a better idea to make a base in Methven and utilise the apres options. "If you stay in the city you won't get into the apres, when you go to the bar at the end of the day you will be the only person wearing ski boots and everyone else will be in suits," the Mt Hutt manager says. "If you stay in Methven everyone in the bars and restaurants will be talking about what happened on the slopes that day. "There are four or five places to hang out when the lifts close, including Methven's world-famous Blue Pub. "And there are a dozen restaurants that are very good, so if you're here for a week you will be satisfied eating out at a different place every night. "There's also a range of accommodation in town, from backpackers to 4 and 5-star apartments, and the best thing about staying here is there are no international chains and the person that checks you in is the owner, so you get personalised service." While Mt Hutt is the biggest resort in Canterbury, it isn't the only option for a day on the slopes, with an assortment of commercial hills and club fields including Porters Ski Area - the closest place to slide near Christchurch - and Ohau, Roundhill and Mt Dobson in the Mackenzie district. Porters, an hour by road from the South Island's largest settlement, offers a variety of beginner slopes and a snow-sport school as well as challenging terrain for accomplished skiers and boarders. "There's Mt Hutt and Porters, and about seven other areas that are club fields," Urquhart says, listing the ski destinations in his part of New Zealand. "They're all open to the public - every place in Canterbury is open to everyone every day during winter. "Mt Hutt is the largest, we're four or five times larger than Porters, but we complement each other and work together and our guests can ski both mountains on a NZSuperpass." For more information on visiting the heart of New Zealand's South Island for your next winter getaway visit the Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism website (christchurchnz .com) and the Mt Hutt (nzski.com/mthutt) and Porters (skiporters.co.nz) internet pages. "Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook Follow @Escape_team on Twitter