Driving to New Zealand Ski Areas: Snow Chains, Access Roads and Shuttles

The short answer

Carry snow chains and know how to fit them, check the ski area's snow report for road conditions before you leave, and consider the bus or shuttle, which saves you the driving and the chains.

Access roads compared

Snow chains

• Carry them even on fine days. Conditions change fast, and several ski areas require chains in the vehicle whether or not they're needed that morning.
• Practise fitting them before you leave home. NZSki and Cardrona both publish how-to videos.
• Hire if you need to. Mt Hutt has chain hire at the bottom of its access road, and McEwings in Methven hires them too.
• Rental cars: check with your rental company whether you can take the car up a ski area road and fit chains.

Buses and shuttles

• Queenstown: NZSki's Ski Bus runs to Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, including from Frankton for The Remarkables.
• Wānaka: free mountain-road shuttles run up to Cardrona from The Pines car park and up to Treble Cone from the bottom of its access road, with no booking needed. Bookable buses also run from Queenstown and Wānaka.
• Methven: NZSki lists bus options to Mt Hutt.
• Ruapehu: Pure Tūroa recommends a shuttle, such as Dempsey's Buses, on days when chains are required.

On the road

• Check the snow report before you leave. Most are updated from early morning with road status, chain rules and car park space.
• Drive to the conditions. Leave room for two-way traffic, and watch for cyclists and walkers on the Ohakune Mountain Road.
• Carpool. The Remarkables and Mt Hutt run Carpool Priority on busy days, and car parks fill up in the school holidays.

For when to go, see when to ski in New Zealand.