Oceania Ski Resorts

New Zealand and Australia: Wild skiing at the end of the world

For skiers in Europe and North America, a ski trip to New Zealand or Australia seems like an exotic trip to the end of the world. And the experience doesn't disappoint.

The Southern Alps of New Zealand provide some seriously fine skiing and boarding with five hundred km of mountain ranges splitting the South Island from north to south like a spine. The majority of the commercial ski fields are found around the alpine tourist resort town of Queenstown, which sits on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and looks more like the Swiss Alps than antipodean lands. New Zealand offers some exciting heliski terrain when you’re done with resort skiing. The country’s snowline is above the tree line so don’t expect tree ski runs, but you will find glacial skiing, open bowls, steep chutes, and some fine powder.

The alpine regions of Australia are found mainly in the two states of New South Wales and Victoria. There’s a beauty to skiing the snow gums of Australia knowing you won’t find these eucalyptus trees on any other ski field in the world.