Essential Travel Ski Guides

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Travel to Ohau with ski insurance from Essential Travel

One of New Zealand’s best kept secrets, Ohau ski resort is located between Queenstown and Christchurch, just off the Mackenzie Plains highway. Though not as popular as the ski resorts in the Canterbury or Southern Lakes regions, Ohau is nevertheless well worth visiting, boasting a diverse selection of trails, good slope conditions and empty runs.

Ohau is a small, friendly resort with superb views of Mount Cook and Lake Ohau, and fabulous accommodation options just a short drive from the ski field. The resort hosts a number of exciting winter events including a festive Irish weekend, a winter ball and the Highland Games.

There are ski trails for all to enjoy at Ohau, with 20 percent of the skiable area at the resort devoted to beginners and 30 per cent to advanced riders, while the bulk of runs (50 per cent) are wide, sloping intermediate trails. The slopes are served by a fixed grip lift, a platter and a lengthy T-bar lift. The resort is almost 6,562 feet above sea level at its highest point, with a 1,312 feet vertical drop.

Excellent lodging facilities are available at Lake Ohau Lodge, with 75 rooms encompassing four different varieties of accommodation, from basic backpacker units to luxury double rooms. The lodge is located a 15-minute drive from the ski field, offering convenient access to the slopes. Alternative accommodation is available at both Twizel and Omarama, both located approximately 30 miles from the resort. On-site facilities at Ohau include a ski patrol, rental shop, ski school, and a resort cafeteria.

The ski season at Ohau runs from July to October and the resort is easily accessible via hire car, though bus transportation is also an option.

Skiing in Ohau

Resting on the flanks of Mount Sutton in the Ohau mountain range, Ohau Resort offers fabulous skiing for novice to advanced level skiers. The ski field is located in a fairly remote area, between Christchurch and Queenstown, and consequently has the advantage of fewer crowds and a friendly, personal environment. Christchurch is located approximately 198 miles from Christchurch, 170 miles from Dunedin and 136 miles from Queenstown.

Skiing at Ohau is open to skiers of all levels of experience, with a total of 20 per cent of trails suitable for beginners, including the spacious ‘Boulevard’, and 50 per cent of trails suitable for intermediates, such as the ‘Luge’, a cruising slope that winds back and forth across the mountain face. Thirty per cent of trails are allocated to advanced and expert skiers, with challenging runs such as the ‘Escalator’ providing adrenalin rushes for even the most proficient skiers. Three ski lifts provide transportation to the slopes and include a platter lift, a fixed grip lift and a T-bar that extends for over half a mile.

Non-skiing activities at Ohau are limited to socialising at the resort’s on-site cafeteria, while the nearby towns of Twizel and Omarama provide a range of entertainment and leisure options to fill off-slope hours.

Repair and rental shops are located at the resort as well as a commendable ski school that offers tuition for those wanting to brush up on their snow skills. The Lake Ohau Lodge is located roughly 15 minutes from the skiing area by car and 30 minutes from both Twizel and Omarama. It affords spectacular views and convenient access to the slopes and provides a selection of different rooms ranging from casual to plush. Additional lodging is available at Twizel and Omarama.

Ohau is open for skiing from roughly July to October and the best way of reaching the resort is by hiring a car and driving from one of the main centres.

Transportation to Ohau

Ohau is located approximately 198 miles from Christchurch, 136 miles from Queenstown and 170 miles from Dunedin. The resort is located on the slopes of Mount Sutton, which is integral to the Ohau Range of the Main Divide and lies an equal distance (32 miles) from both Twizel and Omarama. The resort can be reached by shuttle bus transportation from Lake Ohau Lodge or via self-drive.

To reach the resort by car, take highway 8 linking Twizel and Omarama, and turn off at the access road to the resort. The road leads up to Lake Ohau Lodge, from where it is an additional six miles (15-minute drive) to the resort. Plenty of parking is available at the resort parking lot.

There are international airports at Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin, although most flights arriving from overseas touch down at Christchurch, with the option of connecting flights to other destinations within the country. From all three airports, bus and taxi transportation is available into the town centres, from where visitors can hire a car to drive to Ohau.

Daily shuttle bus transportation travels between Lake Ohau Lodge and the ski field, and there is also a bus stop at the end of the Lake Ohau Lodge access road, from where transport can be arranged.

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