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 business.
Depending on the location and ski resort in New Zealand, you can ski or snowboard from late May to mid-November.
Ski fields on the South Island tend to open before ski fields on the North Island.
South Island ski fields generally open in early June and close in early October, while North Island slopes are open from late June to November.
Ski fields on the South Island also tend to be less crowded than ski fields on the North Island of New Zealand.
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.
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 are open.
| Ski Field | Open |
| Whakapapa | Mid-June to mid-October |
| Turoa | Mid-June to mid-October |
| Rainbow | Late June to mid-October |
| Mt. Lyford | Early June to mid-October |
| Hanmer Springs | Early June to late October |
| Temple Basin | Late June to mid-October |
| Craigieburn | Late June to late October |
| Porter Heights | Early July to late September |
| Mt. Olympus | Mid-July to mid-October |
| Mt. Hutt | Early June to late October |
| Mt. Dobson | Early July to mid-October |
| Roundhill | Late June to early October |
| Ohau | Early July to mid-October |
| Treble Cone | Late June to early October |
| Cardrona | Mid-June to early October |
| Snow Farm | Mid-June to early October |
| Snowpark (above Cardrona) | Early June to early October |
| Coronet Peak | Early June to mid-October |
| The Remarkables | Late 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.
The first ski field to open in New Zealand in 2010 is Coronet Peak at the time of writing. See all of the New Zealand ski fields 2010 opening dates.
Note: This article was accurate when it was published and/or updated. Please be sure to confirm all details directly with the operators in question before planning your trip.
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