Jump to content

Skiing in New Zealand

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jeremy1242 (talk | contribs) at 01:46, 1 December 2016 (→External links). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mount Hutt ski field.

New Zealand is a major skiing destination in the Southern Hemisphere, due to its high latitude, mountainous terrain, and well-developed economy and tourism industry. The ski season in New Zealand starts in mid June and in good winters can run through to the start of November.

While there are several ski resorts on the North Island, most are found in the South Island. There are both major commercial resorts, and smaller intrepid and club skifields which provide access to affordable skiing for club members. There are also specialist backcountry skiing areas such as Mount Potts and Invincible Snowfields which provide heliskiing and snowcat skiing for adventure-seekers.

New Zealand has competed at most Winter Olympics since 1952, when Sir Roy McKenzie led a team. In 1992 Annelise Coberger became the first person from the Southern Hemisphere to win a medal at the Winter Olympics when she won silver in the slalom at Albertville in France.

Other forms of skiing that New Zealand is known for include heli-skiing[1] and kite-skiing. Snow-kiting, while a relative new sport, has an avid following in New Zealand, with a festival in Wanaka[2] held annually.

Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, reaching a height of 3,754 metres (12,316 ft).[3] It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island; it is a popular tourist destination.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.heliski.co.nz/
  2. ^ https://www.facebook.com/events/115804725110050/
  3. ^ "Aoraki/Mount Cook: Canterbury places to visit". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ "Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Management Plan 2004" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skiing_in_New_Zealand&oldid=752403144"