Skiing In Canterbury New Zealand

By Author: Bonny Kominek
Total Articles: 96
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The capital of Canterbury is the beautiful city of Christchurch. Christchurch offers all the usual facilities, including an international airport and makes a great base for your skiing adventure.

For your first stop on the Canterbury ski-a-thon, consider Porter Heights which is the closest ski field to Christchurch. An hour and a half drive from Christchurch along the West Coast Highway, Porters is located in the dramatic Craigieburn Range and offers reliable snow and a range of terrain for boarders and skiers. With a top elevation of nearly 2,000 metres and a vertical fall of nearly 700 metres, Porters has slopes that will make your legs burn. Beginners'' slopes make up about 20% of the terrain with the balance intermediate to advanced. Ski school and equipment hire is on offer and accommodation can be found at the nearby Ski Club Lodge and also the Castle Hill Alpine Village.

For the advanced skier, next stop would be Craigieburn Valley, down the West Coast Road from Porters. Craigieburn is a club field, operated by its enthusiastic members and offering off piste skiing to satisfy the most expert of skiers. Facilities ...
... are not extensive but prices are affordable and the skiing experience more than makes up for it. Accommodation is available at one of the surrounding alpine lodges run by the club.

You could now head north to Mt Lyford Alpine Resort about 150 kms from Christchurch. Not only does Mt Lyford offer great skiing but you also have the opportunity to enjoy the nearby world class tourism options of Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools