#spotzone

The ski season in New Zealand opens in June and runs through until the end of September. June and July are some of the colder months, and can offer good powder skiing. August is the peak month in which to ski, and depending on the weather, there is a variety of skiing in September and October, from spring skiing conditions to wintery powder.

New Zealand resorts tend to have very limited on-mountain accommodation, so you will be most likely staying in some nearby town. Naturally, these vary in size as does the night-life from the busy party towns to the quieter club fields. Queenstown has over 20 bars and clubs and is often referred to as the action and adventure capital of NZ.

NZ’s international gateway airports are, Auckland and Wellington for North Island and Christchurch and Queenstowns for the South Island. The average flight time from London is 21 hours with a few stop overs. If you’r e looking to drive to some resorts then you will probably need chains. A lot of the drives to the resorts are on unsealed and very dodgy dirt roads. Car hire services are available at all the airports and when hiring, ask about deals for road trips to the mountains, these can include discounts on accommodation and lift passes. Campervans are a cheap hire option with a five day hire costing from $460. As well as the usual hire companies, there are some that specialise in longer term rental for backpackers, with prices from $25 per day.