When do New Zealand ski fields open?


Learn from when to when the ski season runs for New Zealand ski fields, so when they are open for skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, etc.


Depending on the location and ski resort in New Zealand, you can ski or snowboard from early June to late October.





Ski fields on the South Island tend to open before ski fields on the North Island.



South Island ski fields generally open early June and close early October, while North Island slopes are open from late June to mid-October.



Ski fields on the South Island also tend to be less crowded than ski fields on the North Island of New Zealand, although this does not apply to holiday periods.



When deciding when is the best time to visit New Zealand for skiing, you may also want to take the July school holidays period into consideration, because ski fields tend to get very busy then. Resorts like Coronet Peak and Cardrona in the Southern Lakes area (Queenstown and Wanaka) on the South Island of New Zealand can get very busy.



Mt. Hutt near Methven in Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand is usually the first ski field in New Zealand to open its slopes but not always. Coronet Peak tends to beat it sometimes.



You can find all of the ski areas in New Zealand listed on the New Zealand ski fields map and click on any ski field on the map to visit its web site.



The table below lists the approximate times when (commercial) New Zealand ski fields open.


Ski FieldOpen
WhakapapaMid-June to mid-October
TuroaMid-June to mid-October
RainbowMid-July to mid-October
Mt. LyfordEarly June to mid-October
Hanmer SpringsEarly June to late October
Temple BasinLate June to mid-October
CraigieburnLate June to late October
Porter HeightsEarly July to late September
Mt. OlympusEarly July to mid-October
Mt. HuttEarly June to late October
Mt. DobsonEarly July to mid-October
RoundhillLate June to early October
OhauEarly July to mid-October
Treble ConeLate June to early October
CardronaMid-June to early October
Snow FarmMid-June to late September
Snow Park (above Cardrona)Early June to early October
Coronet PeakEarly June to mid-October
The RemarkablesLate June to early October


Opening times generally depend on snow conditions, which are difficult to predict and which only mother nature has control over. So while you could contact the respective ski fields through their web sites to ask for exact opening times, please remember that they are dependent on the weather.



New Zealand ski field opening dates in 2017



The table below lists 2017 opening dates for New Zealand ski fields that have already announced ski field opening dates. This list was updated on June 8, 2017.





For the most up to date opening dates, please visit the official ski fields websites, which you can find via the New Zealand ski fields map.



MetService also keeps track of the open and closed statuses of ski fields and provides weather forecasts for 23 ski fields.


Ski FieldOpen
WhakapapaOpen (July 1)
TuroaJuly 1
TukinoJuly 1
RainbowJuly 8
Mt. LyfordJune 22
Hanmer Springs
Temple Basin
CraigieburnJuly 8
Mt. CheesemanJuly 8
Porter HeightsJune 23
Mt. OlympusJuly 8
Mt. HuttJune 9
Mt. DobsonJuly 7
RoundhillJuly 1
OhauJuly 1
Treble ConeJune 22
CardronaJune 10
Snow FarmJune 24
Coronet PeakJune 17
The RemarkablesJune 10

New Zealand ski fields closing dates in previous years



The table below lists the 2015 and 2016 closing dates for New Zealand ski fields. Note that closing dates of ski fields depend on the weather and may vary from year to year but usually fall in either August, September, or October.



Please be cautious when using the dates listed below for planning your future ski holiday and to get an idea of the date until when you can ski in New Zealand. Judging from the dates listed below, the latest I would plan a ski holiday in 2017 is for early September.


Ski FieldClosed in 2015Closed in 2016Closed in 2017
WhakapapaOctober 3October 9November 7
TuroaOctober 9October 9October 23
TukinoOctober 9September 28September 28
RainbowOctober 5September 25September 26
Mt. LyfordSeptember 12September 13September 25
Hanmer SpringsAugust 10Did not open in 2016September 5
Temple BasinOctober 3September 18September 24
CraigieburnSeptember 28September 19October 8
Mt. CheesemanSeptember 20September 16October 1
Porter HeightsSeptember 27October 1October 8
Mt. OlympusOctober 2September 18October 7
Mt. HuttOctober 4October 10October 27
Mt. DobsonSeptember 26September 17September 29
RoundhillSeptember 3September 11September 19
OhauSeptember 26October 2October 8
Treble ConeSeptember 19October 7October 4
CardronaOctober 25October 9November 8
Snow FarmSeptember 19September 26September 25
Coronet PeakSeptember 20October 2October 16
The RemarkablesSeptember 20October 2October 8
 

This article falls under Travel Guide.

Note: This article was accurate when it was published. Please confirm all details
directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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