Ohau Ski Area
Resort Overview
Michael Fulton
50+ resortsMelbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Skiing for 15 years and visited resorts in:
🇦🇺 Australia (6) • 🇺🇸 USA (15) • 🇯🇵 Japan (5) • 🇪🇺 Europe (10)
Ohau operates between 1425 and 1825 metres with 400 vertical metres across 125 hectares of skiable terrain. The field comprises 15 marked runs split 20 per cent beginner, 50 per cent intermediate and 30 per cent advanced, with no designated expert terrain. A 23-gun Techno Alpin snowmaking system covers the main Boulevard run, ensuring coverage from the June opening. The family-run operation has been managed by Mike and Louise Neilson since the mid-1980s, set in the Ohau Range between the Mackenzie Basin and the Main Divide.
The valley-contained layout favours off-piste riding over grooming, with only a handful of prepared runs. The Boulevard provides wide cruising from the chairlift summit to base, whilst Ridge Run demands a bootpack above the lift line to access untracked bowls. Advanced riders traverse to Escalator and the High Traverse for steeper pitches, or hike to the ridgeline for views across to Aoraki Mount Cook. Two small terrain parks service beginners and intermediates near the base and mid-mountain.
The day lodge sits steps from the car park, built from Oregon timber with a log burner, sun deck and the Avalunch Cafe. Lift queues rarely form and the skiable hectare-to-skier ratio keeps fresh snow accessible well into the afternoon. Lake Ohau Lodge, 20 minutes down the 9.6-kilometre access road, anchors the operation with 72 rooms, hot tubs, a bar and restaurant. The field's Māori name translates to windy place, though the turquoise lake views and Southern Alps panorama define the experience more than weather.
Ohau operates independently without pass affiliations, pricing adult day tickets from 135 to 160 New Zealand dollars depending on season. Lodge guests receive discounted rates and children under six ski free. The 2026 season runs 20 June to 27 September across 14 weeks. This suits families seeking uncrowded slopes, intermediates chasing consistent fall-line terrain, and advanced riders willing to hike for powder stashes beyond the single chairlift's reach.
Live Ohau Webcams
Trails & Terrain
Trails
Total Runs
15
Total Area
309 ac
125.0 ha
Ohau Lift System
Three lifts serve Ohau with a combined uphill capacity of 2295 riders per hour. The infrastructure consists of one double chairlift, one platter lift and one magic carpet. The fixed-grip double chair installed in 2004 replaced earlier surface lifts and opened the upper mountain to wider lift-served access. In 2005 the field installed what was then New Zealand's longest magic carpet for first-timers, positioned at the base near the day lodge.
The main double chairlift measures 920 metres in length with 345 metres of vertical rise, delivering a 4.5-minute ride to 1770 metres. From the top terminal, riders access the Boulevard groomer, intermediate bowls left and right of the fall line, and traverses to steeper ungroomed zones. The platter services a separate beginner zone with more gradient than the magic carpet area. Both learner lifts sit within sight of the day lodge deck and ticket office.
Base-to-summit flow follows a straightforward single-valley configuration. Skiers park adjacent to facilities, walk 50 metres to either beginner lift or slide down a gentle pitch to the chairlift loading zone. The chair serves the majority of marked and unmarked terrain, requiring traverses to reach the field's edges. Hikers bootpack from the chair's top to the ridgeline above for access to wider bowls and chutes not served by lifts.
The field has invested in snowmaking and grooming infrastructure in recent years, though no major lift additions have occurred since 2005. Plans for a second chairlift to skier's left have been discussed but not realised. The compact layout and absence of high-speed detachables means no significant bottlenecks form, even on peak winter weekends when Queenstown fields queue for 20 minutes or more.
Lifts
Total Lifts
2
Lift Types
2
Season Info
The 2026 season opens 20 June and closes 27 September, spanning 14 weeks of operation. Most South Island fields target late June openings, though Ohau's elevation and snowmaking allow earlier access when natural cover permits. Historical seasons have run from late June through early October, with closures dependent on spring snow retention. The field typically operates daily once open, with occasional wind holds affecting the exposed upper mountain.
Ohau receives approximately 2.3 metres of natural snowfall annually, modest by New Zealand standards but augmented by reliable Main Divide weather systems. The 23-gun automated snowmaking system covers the Boulevard and main descents, crucial for June and early July when base depths build. The southeast-facing aspect preserves snow quality through midday sun, and the 1425-metre base elevation sits high enough to maintain coverage into September. Early season off-piste requires caution due to rock coverage until sufficient base accumulates.
July and August deliver peak powder conditions with the most consistent natural snowfall and coldest temperatures. September offers spring corn snow, longer daylight and fewer crowds as families return to school. Midweek visits from late June through early August provide the quietest slopes, whilst weekends draw day-trippers from Christchurch and Queenstown. The field rarely reaches capacity, making powder day timing less critical than at commercial resorts further south.
The events calendar remains low-key compared to larger fields, with occasional races and community days. No night skiing operates. Lodge guests can access the daily 9.15am shuttle up the access road, returning at day's end. The season pass program offers family and loyalty discounts for those buying before early June, and Lake Ohau Lodge accommodation packages bundle lift tickets at reduced rates throughout winter.
Season Info
Current Season
2026
Opening Day
6/20/2026
Closing Day
9/27/2026
Days Open
100
Location & Getting There
Ohau sits in the Mackenzie High Country on the Ohau Range's eastern slopes, part of the Main Divide separating Canterbury and Otago. The field overlooks Lake Ohau's southwestern shore at 1425 metres base elevation, cradled between the Ohau Range west and Ben Ohau Range east. The glacial lake stretches below in vivid turquoise, fed by snowmelt from the surrounding peaks. Aoraki Mount Cook rises 99 kilometres northwest, visible from the ridgeline on clear days.
Twizel lies 42 kilometres north and Omarama 42 kilometres south, both 30 minutes from the Highway 8 turnoff to Lake Ohau Road. The sealed 23-kilometre approach road hugs the lakeshore before reaching Lake Ohau Lodge. From the lodge, a 9.6-kilometre unsealed alpine road climbs 15 minutes to the ski field car park, steep and narrow with no barriers but maintained throughout winter. The Mackenzie Basin's stark tussock landscape and International Dark Sky Reserve designation define the broader region.
Christchurch Airport sits 320 kilometres northeast, a 3.5 to 4-hour drive via State Highway 1 through Ashburton, then west on Highway 8 past Lake Tekapo. Queenstown Airport lies 220 kilometres southwest, roughly 3 hours via Highway 6 and 8 through Cromwell and the Lindis Pass. Dunedin Airport is 275 kilometres southeast, a 3-hour drive. No commercial airports operate closer than 90 minutes, making self-drive the primary access method.
InterCity operates one daily bus from Christchurch to the Lake Ohau turnoff on Highway 8, requiring pre-arranged pickup for the final 23 kilometres. No public transport serves the field directly. Most visitors drive rental vehicles or stay at Lake Ohau Lodge, which runs a morning shuttle to the field. Chains or four-wheel-drive capability may be required on the access road during storms, available for hire at the lodge.