2024 Ski Season: AU vs NZ Guide

Australia

Mt Hotham Ski Resort, Victoria, Australia

With five major ski resorts across the state and a smattering of smaller offerings, skiing in a country known for its epic heat can be a pleasant surprise. You’ll find the major resorts across both New South Wales and Victoria.

New South Wales

Perisher and Thredbo are the two main choices in NSW, both being located a 5-6 hour drive from Sydney. Thredbo is the best choice for those looking for ski-in/ski-out accommodation with a proper ski village to relax in after a hard day on the slopes. It also features Australia’s longest ski run, the Thedbo Supertrail with an impressive length of 5.9km. On the other hand, Perisher is the largest resort in Australasia, with more than 1200 hectares of skiing area. There are also plenty of terrain parks to hit up if that’s your thing. While there is on-mountain accommodation at Perisher, there’s no central ski village like there is at Thredbo.

Victoria

Further south in Victoria, the three main ski resorts are Falls Creek, Hotham and Mt Buller. The resorts are a little bit closer to Melbourne, with Mt Buller the closest at a 3-hour drive, while Falls Creek and Hotham will both take around 4.5 hours to reach. At Mt Buller, you’ll get more than 80km of trails, the largest lift network in the state, and plenty of on-mountain accommodation. At Hotham, the village sits perched on top of the mountain, which means your first run of the day won’t even require a chairlift. And in fact, if you want to stay here but also ski at Falls Creek during the day that’s possible too, with a Heli-Link service operating between the two. Falls Creek, known as the “prettiest ski field in Australia” is another excellent choice. While there is plenty on offer for skiers and boarders of all levels, it’s a great choice for families, with child-dedicated runs and a massive ski school.

New Zealand

Queenstown, New Zealand

For budget driven travellers, in NZ the accommodation is usually cheaper, the lift passes are cheaper, and it’s a great excuse to see some other parts of the country at the same time. Great skiing is accessible on both the North and South Islands, so there’s really no excuse not to fit in a few days on the slopes of you’re crossing the Tasman.

North Island

While the South Island takes the cake in terms of being the most famous place to ski, it’s definitely possible to ski on the North Island too. Mt. Ruapehu is located smack bang in the middle of the island and features two ski fields – Whakapapa on its northern side, and Turoa on the south. With fantastic views over the North Island and great spring skiing often into October, the North Island still offers a fantastic choice with a more relaxed vibe.

It’s around 4 hours’ drive from either Auckland or Wellington depending on which way you’re coming from so you’ll need to hire a car. Direct flights to Auckland depart from all major cities in Australia, but for Wellington you’re a little more limited with options from only Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

South Island

Options abound if you’re looking to ski on the South Island, with a plethora of ski resorts in the Queenstown area catering to all skill levels, and a real ski-village vibe with excellent nightlife. If Queenstown doesn’t seem like your kind of thing there are also plenty of options further north in Canterbury including the well-known Mount Hutt which was voted New Zealand's best ski resort for siz years in a row.

The most common option is to fly into Queenstown, which offers direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. If you’re flying out of Perth, Adelaide, Canberra or Hobart, you’ll need to transfer either in Australia, or in Auckland.

The options for flying into Christchurch if you’re looking to ski in Canterbury are pretty similar. Direct flights are available out of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but you’ll need to transfer once if you’re anywhere else.

The Verdict

There's no right and wrong on this one - each has it's own distinct advantages. In terms of budget things are generally cheaper in NZ, but you'll need to outlay the extra cash to get over there in the first place. Unfortunately, skiing in both countries generally requires a significant drive, but flying into Queenstown NZ can cut this right down.

But as we all know the most important thing about the snow is that you're actually there and enjoying yourself, and plenty of enjoyment can be had in both countries. Just make to sure to lock in your trip as soon as you can - miss it and you'll have to wait another whole year!