Snow Sports

Hanmer Springs – 90 minutes north of Christchurch airport – is New Zealand’s premier alpine spa and a holiday destination that’s popular with locals and international visitors.

Star Kiwi snowboarder Rebecca ‘Bex’ Sinclair is a young athlete at the pinnacle of her sport.

New Zealand alpine ski racer Adam Hall thrives on a constant diet of winter – his recipe for turning adversity into triumph.

For winter holidaymakers wanting to take a day off from skiing and snowboarding, New Zealand’s ski regions offer some quirky fun-filled snow-related activities.

Classed as the world’s best freeskier, at just 19 New Zealander Jossi Wells has already jumped off more mountains and stood on more podiums than most other sportsmen of his age.

Snow is gathering on New Zealand’s high country, and mountain resorts are grooming their fields as the country says goodbye to autumn and welcomes visitors for another season of uniquely Kiwi winter events.

Canterbury – New Zealand’s largest region – rises from the Pacific Ocean, sweeps across vast plains, through braided river valleys, and climbs into the magnificent Southern Alps that divide the length of the South Island.

New Zealand’s southern hemisphere ski fields – renowned for spectacular mountain terrain, postcard scenery, varied snow trails, and popular resorts – are gearing up for the winter 2011 season.

At 82, Queenstown man Les Brough clocks in as one of New Zealand’s oldest skiers but when he takes to the slopes each day, he’s just one of an exclusive club with “one ski in the grave”.

Dare-devil Kiwis have made their names internationally in many sports and high adrenalin outdoor pursuits.