[tigerlily]

It's just started winter where I am, and already I am swearing off snow. I'm wondering if places on the south island, or N island for that matter, get any snow? Going to cross them off my list for sure.

I know that the mountains get lovely snow, but does snow actually fall in Queenstown or Dunedin or Christchurch? What about Wellington? Can I be promised none of the white stuff?

[Diny]

Tigerlily

Hell yeah !!!!!! Plenty of snow in NZ. During the winter months the Desert Road (which runs right up the middle of the north island) is regularly closed due to heavy snow.

I know for a fact that Dunedin gets snow because we had some friends from there visiting us a few weeks ago and they brought along some photo's of their new house surrounded by several inches of snow. When you consider that NZ has a thriving ski and snowboard culture I guess there has to be snow to support it.

Diny

[tigerlily]

I know that anything at altitude will get snow, because there is no continental effect. When I was tramping around Mt Aspiring and Fiordland, the snow line was at 3,000 feet. That is very low to those of us used to a treeline/snow line of more like 7,000 here in the US (i'm probably wrong on my numbers). But will there be snow plows in Nelson? Yes, I'm a bit of a sissy on driving in the snow.

[mechidna]

Well Tigerlily,

I live in Nebraska. We've just had our first snow, 4-6 inches (10.16 - 15.24 centimeters) and it will be a lovely 21f (-6 c) tonight. I am at the point in my life where I want no more snow. I am determined that this is my last winter here. It does not snow in Hamilton, which is one of my preferred destinations.

I'm also bad about driving in the snow.

Michele

[catjlin]

I'm with all of you on that. Where we live in Colorado we average over 400" of snow a year, we experience winter for 8 months, and it is cold!! (Negative 21 last night, a balmy 5 degrees Fahrenheit presently). I don't mind the snow terribly, but would love to be somewhere where we don't have to plug the cars in at night lest the batteries freeze.

[veronica]

Me, well I run a ski/snowboard shop and I love the stuff.

[catjlin]

Don't get me wrong, without the fluffy white stuff we wouldn't be able to do most of the activities that we enjoy: snowboarding, cross country and downhill skiing, sledding, throwing snowballs . . . heck, it even provides all our rafting in the summer. I'm just looking forward to not living in it for the first year or two we're in NZ, then, most likely, we'll end up moving to a resort town there. My fiance won't last too long away from it, rather like 'Frosty the Snowman' :yes

[tigerlily]

Snow is lovely to visit, look at, play in, but driving in it daily for months does wear on you. I loved living where winters were rainy but the snow was an hour away if we wanted it (that would be my former hometown of Portland, Oregon). Now that I am faced with constantly slipping around in the snow just to get some bread at the market (here in Spokane, Washington), I'm thinking that I like old system. But I have to say that Queenstown was wonderful and if pressed, I would live there is a second! Catjlin- have you been there?

[catjlin]

Tigerlily,
I was in Queenstown 2 years ago; my fiance did a season at the Remarkables. Really neat town set on a gorgeous lake, great bakery and wonderful trekking nearby. The year we were there though, there wasn't too much snow to be had, just cold and damp. We both rather liked the town, but the idea of having to drive so far to board/ski is rather a bummer. We're rather spoiled here, 10 minutes from front door to first chair :mrgreen:
Anyone's thoughts on other possible ski towns in South Island?
Cat

[Radders]

No snow in Nelson. My friends can't even remember a frost worth the name. Plenty on the hills though. It was still there a few days ago. Otago was having plenty of snow last week.

[Moorf]

Oh Catjlin... we spent Xmas and New Yr 2001 in Breckenridge Colorado.. you have FAB snow there and the resorts are amazing... we passed a couple of "ski villages" en route to Mount Cook the other weekend.. hard to tell what they will be like as snow gone at the moment but I imagine they are very basic in their facilities... no quad-chairlifts there methinks!

Having said that, some of the best resorts we went to in USA were in Yosemite.. little back-road places with names like Beavers Creek etc...

Oohh roll on winter!!

[veronica]

There should be snow just outside Nelson.... at least there is a small ski resort there!

[catjlin]

There should be snow just outside Nelson.... at least there is a small ski resort there!
I saw the resort online, has anyone been there? It looks to be only 45 minutes or so out of Nelson.
Veronica, we'll have to stop in and see you at your shop and get the boards/skis tuned next June when we get to NZ, we'll be staying in Christchurch for a bit while we get sorted.
Cat

[Tate6]

Living in Wisconsin most of my life, with a few months in Colo Spgs., and 3 years in Florida, I would much prefer little or no snow!! Nelson is an area we are considering and also Christchurch/Akaroa area. I could handle a little snow and cold (we also get the 30-40 below zero and winter for more than half the year!), but would love to actually have the other three seasons! My son, however, is thrilled to know that in many areas you can be on a beach and drive just a couple hours to find snowboarding weather.

[veronica]

It does snow in Christchurch but doesn't seem to hang around. The weather here is very changable and can go from a southerly (v.cold) to a nor'westerly (hot, dry wind) very quickly. the line from the song...4 seasons in 1 day is sometimes a very accurate description!!

Some customers of ours who bought skis are from Nelson and they ski regularly there in the season. I don't know how good or otherwise it is but all the fields here are small.