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Travel to Mount Lyford with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Located a two-hour drive north of Christchurch, Mount Lyford is known as New Zealand’s sunniest snow resort and it offers a range of fabulous ski trails for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders. Nearby the ski resort is an authentic alpine village offering cosy log cabin accommodation and adding to Mount Lyford’s allure.

Mount Lyford offers ski routes on the wide-open Terako Basin, providing fun and excitement for visitors on the sun-kissed slopes. The resort is popular with families and novice groups due to its excellent tuition program and childcare facilities, while experienced skiers and boarders have the choice of several challenging slopes and a thrilling terrain park.

The 444-acre ski area at Mount Lyford comprises a good selection of terrain ranging from gentle to tricky, split roughly between various levels at a ratio of 30 per cent beginner trails, 40 per cent intermediate trails and 30 per cent advanced trails. At its highest point, the resort’s altitude is 5,741 feet above sea level, with a vertical drop of 1,476 feet. In addition to the ski pistes, Mount Lyford features a state-of-the-art terrain park introduced in 2004 and equipped with a fabulous range of adrenalin-inducing rails, table tops and pipes.

Mount Lyford’s accommodation options are one of the ski resort’s most enticing aspects. Visitors have the choice of quaint log cabins located nearby to the ski field, rooms at the stately Mount Lyford Lodge or various lodging options at Waiau, Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs and Christchurch. On-site facilities at the ski resort include a day lodge with a restaurant, ski and snowboard rental shop, ski hire and a childcare centre.

The nearby towns of Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs provide an exciting array of alternative leisure options including whale watching, hot springs, jet boating and bungy jumping that will challenge even the most adventurous visitors.

Weather conditions permitting, the ski season at Mount Lyford usually runs from June to October. The resort can be reached via hire car or return shuttles from Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs, Christchurch, Waiau, Culverden, Waikiri, Waipara and Amberley.

Skiing in Mount Lyford

Mount Lyford is one of New Zealand’s most popular ski resorts, known for its sunny, spacious slopes, wide range of trails and excellent skiing school and children’s centre. The resort is located close to a number of picturesque towns including the eco-tourism centre of Kaikoura and the picturesque town of Hanmer Springs, with its steaming thermal baths.

Mount Lyford offers skiing and boarding for all levels of experience, with a diverse variety of groomed trails that snake across nearly 494 acres of terrain. Intermediate skiers have the run of approximately 40 per cent of the pistes, while both novice and advanced riders have 30 per cent of the turf at their disposal. Transport to the descents is provided by two pomas, two platters, one fixed grip lift and one rope tow. The Wild Ride terrain park is a new addition to Mount Lyford, combining both natural and manmade features in a snow boarding extravaganza.

In addition to skiing and boarding, tobogganing and tubing are also offered at Mount Lyford, while those wanting a break from the snow can relax at the day lodge, complete with the Chamois Café restaurant. Other off-slope options include an abundant range of recreational activities offered in the nearby towns of Kaikoura, Waiau and Hanmer Springs.

Mount Lyford’s skiing and lodging facilities are first class, with a picturesque alpine village located near Terako Basin providing an authentic mountain experience with accommodation in rustic log cabins. Alternatively, visitors can stay at New Zealand’s largest log structure, the Mount Lyford Lodge, or in a wide variety of hotels, motels, apartments, bed and breakfasts, lodges and cottages at any of the nearby towns. Skiing and snowboarding gear can be hired from Mount Lyford’s on-site rental shop and children will be well looked after at the resort’s childcare centre.

Skiing is offered at Mount Lyford from June to October and the resort can be accessed by hire car or shuttle bus services, which run to and from many of the surrounding towns on a daily basis.

Transportation to Mount Lyford

Mount Lyford Alpine Resort is located between the towns of Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs, at the southern extreme of the Kaikoura Mountain Range. Both Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs can be reached within an hour’s drive of the resort, while road travel to Christchurch takes approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours. The most convenient forms of transportation to Mount Lyford are self-drive or shuttle bus.

Should you opt for hiring a car from Christchurch or elsewhere, Mount Lyford is accessible via a turn-off located on highway 70 between Kaikoura and Waiau. Christchurch is located roughly 93 miles from the resort, Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs are both 37 miles from Mount Lyford, while Waiau is only a 16-mile journey from the ski field. The access road is located about 12 miles from Waiau and extends for five miles through a pretty beech forest. It finishes at the Terako Basin ski area, where ample parking is provided.

The international airport at Christchurch receives most flights arriving in New Zealand from foreign destinations including Australia, Fiji, Korea, Singapore and the USA. Flights from other international destinations are usually routed through one of these countries en route to New Zealand. Taxis and buses provide transportation from the airport to the city centre, from where visitors can hire a car or arrange shuttle bus transportation to Mount Lyford Alpine Resort.

Shuttle buses provide safe, reliable transportation to Mount Lyford and make daily return trips from Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs, Christchurch, Waiau, Culverden, Waikiri, Waipara and Amberley.

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