Skiing and snowboarding in Queenstown

Four ski fields are within reach of town. Coronet Peak and The Remarkables are the two closest. Cardrona and Treble Cone are over the Crown Range towards Wanaka.

Which one you pick usually comes down to how far you want to drive and what the wind is doing that morning. Check the field's own snow report before committing to the longer drives.

When the season runs

June, July and August are the reliable months. Depending on snowfall, fields often run into September. Temperatures in town sit between about -2 and 8 degrees, and while it does snow at lake level from time to time, most of it stays on the mountains — which is why you can finish a day on the hill and eat dinner in a shirt.

July is the busiest stretch, with the New Zealand school holidays. Book lessons and rentals ahead of that fortnight rather than on the day.

Before you go up

• Rentals: Snopro, Green Toad and Snow Biz all fit you out in town. Doing it the evening before saves you queueing at the field in the morning.
• Lessons: NZSki adult ski and snowboard lessons cover Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.
• Heli-skiing: Harris Mountains, Southern Lakes, Alpine Heliski and Backcountry Helicopters for terrain the lifts do not reach.
• Guiding: Queenstown Mountain Guides and Snow Chaser, or mountain guiding for something more serious than a groomed run.

Getting there

The access roads climb, and chains are a real possibility on a cold morning. If you would rather not drive them, the fields run buses from town — worth it on a busy Saturday when the car parks fill early.

If the weather closes in

A storm day is not a wasted day. The Kawarau Bungy Centre is free to walk into, the restaurants are quieter mid-winter than you would expect, and the TSS Earnslaw runs whatever the mountains are doing.