Ski Holidays & AccommodationBOOK
Located just 90 minutes from Christchurch, Mt Cheeseman is an alpine basecamp for memorable school trips and educational group adventures, all year round. Whether you’re planning a field trip or camp, we offer fun, safe, and curriculum-aligned experiences for students of all ages, based at your choice of two sites on the mountain.
● Hiking and tramping tracks of varied difficulty (see over 12 handy walking tracks from short walks to full day hikes)
● Camping experience in the bush or alpine (Timms Stream camp shown below)
● Orienteering and bush navigation
● Local geology, flora and fauna studies
● Mountain biking (including Hogs Back Trail, best done from Texas Flat end)
● Inspiring vistas for photography and art
● Cave Stream (seasonal safety precautions apply)
● Castle Hill Rocks & bouldering
● Craigieburn Forest Park
● Lake Lyndon
Our Day Lodge provides ideal spaces for yoga, meditation, art, photography and leadership retreats in a stunning alpine setting.
B:Winter School trips + camps
Give your students the ultimate alpine experience:
Perfect for first-timers and intermediates, with qualified instructors, rental equipment onsite, and wide sunny beginner-friendly slopes.
● Climb snowy slopes and learn winter survival skills
● Snow safety training and back country avalanche rescue training
● Build a snow cave (with supervision)
● Ice skating when the pond freezes (typically June) Rustic skates for small koha
● Ski-in/ski-out access from Snowline Lodge
Race training options available for intermediate and advanced school ski teams.
ACCOMMODATION FOR SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY GROUPS
Snowline Lodge (rear) sleeping 20-68, is a comfortable expedition base with expansive views & classroom in Day Lodge (front).
Located above the bush line on the ski field. Commercial kitchen onsite. One double room and two wings of bunk-style rooms with 4-6 beds per room. Drive up access. Catered or self-catered options. In winter, enjoy ski-in/ski-out access steps from the main Tbar, resident ski instructors, snow patrol and cook (smaller groups available in winter but likely to share lodge with other guests). No nutcracker tows. Option to negotiate adjacent Day Lodge as indoor activity/classroom area as bad weather contingency.
Forest Lodge sleeping up to 38 is nestled at the fringe of the bush.
Located lower down on the fringe of the bush line and tussock plateau, near walking biking tracks and ice skating rink. Dorm style bunk rooms. Operates as back packer lodge but can be booked exclusively. Self-catering facilities.
MOUNTAIN MAGIC
• Qualified ski instructors and ski patrol onsite all winter (in Summer, Snowline is not manned; Forest Lodge has a manager)
• First aid kits in both lodges; first aid room with beds at Snowline
• Risk management template and emergency plan for you to edit (link to Risk management doc
• Outdoor Education & PE: snow safety, skiing, tramping, survival skills
• Science & Geography: geology, weather systems, alpine flora/fauna
• Leadership, teamwork, and environmental responsibility
• Just 90 minutes from Christchurch.
The Day Lodge, pictured right, is adjacent to Snowline and may be made available as a classroom and bad weather option for an additional fee.
Forest Lodge: Bring-your-own-food.
Snowline Lodge:
a) When ski field is open, catered by resident cook.
b) Remainder of year, flexible: either self-catered or catering can be provided by arrangement. Commercial kitchen. Sterilising dishwasher. Freezer by arrangement.
Works out at approximately $40-50 pp for accommodation. Catered options at Snowline inc accommodation work out at approx. $99pp with three meals. Snowline price per person depends on group size: for 25 people, $40 per head. For 50 people approximately $20 per head (Note the Snowline lodge is $1000 per night regardless of group size). The Day Lodge, adjacent to Snowline Lodge is an excellent classroom or activity zone. The Day Lodge has video screen, tables, chairs, and moveable cubbyhole shelving that allows for easy configuration into one or two learning zones. Typically there is an additional hire fee when used as a function centre. Reduced rates are available for mid week groups wanting to use this as a “classroom” or “activity” zone.
Forest Lodge: School rate of $800 per night for groups of 20 and under and $1,000 for up to 39 (if 2 people are in the double).
The prices are based on guests tidying up after lodge use including cleaning bathrooms and vacuuming. A cleaner from Castle Hill may be available by arrangement.
| Options available | Recommended Year Level |
|---|---|
| Outdoor camps, team-building, beginner ski days | Yr 7–13 |
| General adventure & bonding camps | Prefect Camp, Year 10 Camp, Leadership camps |
| PE & Outdoor Ed trips, snow safety, survival skills, Duke of Ed training | Yr 10–13 |
| Parent-organised primary school groups welcome | Yr 5–6 |
See Walking tracks
Day 1:
a.m. Drive over Porters Pass and walk Trig M with packed lunch, then arrive at Lodge.
p.m. Snowline: Ridge walk or Tarn and back via ridge.
Forest Lodge: BSC, down to Ernie’s Mistake, part of Hogs Back to Texas Flat, Dracophyllum Flats loop.
Day 2:
From Snowline, Down Cuckoo Creek. Find Fairy Dell. Packed lunch above screes. Do screes. Back up Cockayne Alley, Landrover Track (the top part of Cockayne Alley that runs under the ski road after Big Bend, to former Middle Hut site, and up to Snowline Lodge.
From Forest Lodge: Hogs Back out and return with Leith Hill loop. Visit Timms Creek canyon on return. Smaller supervised fit group extension: Return via BSC. Scramble to look for Fairy Dell before crossing Timms Creek, then return to Snowline via bottom half of Cockayne Alley.
Day 3:
a.m. Cave Stream. Packed lunch.
P.m. Geology lesson at Castle Hill boulder walk
Add in from these options: Overnight camp, climbing instruction from outdoor instructor, Mountain biking Hogs Back, Lyndon Saddle, Bealey Spur, kayaking Lake Lyndon, Foggy Peak.
Day 1:
a.m. Drive to the mountain. Get assessed by ability into groups
Instruction by ability level
Lunch by inhouse cook
p.m. Race training and race clinic for the intermediate and experienced pupils.
Dinner by resident cook. Stay in Snowline in bunk style accommodation (bring sleeping bags etc)
Day 2:
a.m. build a snow cave
Lunch by resident cook
p.m. Visit Castle Hill rocks on way home
Art & painting, alpine botanical plants, ecology, mountain geology lessons, Learn about alpine ecosystems, snow formation. Observe the effects of weather, altitude, and climate firsthand. Study natural landforms (e.g. Castle Hill’s limestone boulders).
For a group of 60, 3 nights 2 days, catered, bring lunch on first day, from $211 (*excluding outdoor instructors, half parents/half teachers).
Group of 20, catered, 3 days 2 nights, bring lunch on first day, including outdoor instructor & teachers only $358 per student.
| Group size | 20 | 39 | 60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accomm | Snowline $50pp × 2 nights Forest $40pp × 2 |
Snowline $25pp × 2 Forest $25.60pp × 2 |
Snowline $17pp × 2 |
| Food | Snowline $49pp × 2 Forest BYO |
Snowline $49pp × 2 | Snowline $49pp × 2 |
| Transport | $10pp × 2 (there, back) × 20 pax | $10pp × 2 (there, back) × 40 pax | $10pp × 2 (there, back) × 60 pax |
| Van use | $100 per day × 3 days × 2 vans | $100 per day × 3 days × 4 vans | $100 per day × 3 days × 6 vans |
| Staff/teacher 1:10 | $200 day × 3 days × 2 groups | $200 day × 3 days × 4 groups | $200 day × 3 days × 6 groups |
| Outdoor instructor 1 day | $500 × 2 (1:10) | $500 × 4 (1:10) | $500 × 6 (1:10) or rotate instructor activities with easier parent activities |
For Snowline Lodge, email on the form below or directly to office@nullmtcheeseman.co.nz or call the Mountain Office during office hours to start planning your visit. For Forest Lodge, email stay@nullforestlodge.info. We’ll help tailor a trip to suit your goals, budget, and student needs.
Book early to secure your dates — the mountains are calling!
LOGISTICS & PLANNING
View a draft trip rationale to promote a Cheeseman trip to your team
View a Risk Managment Template to adapt for your trip
Get a draft Parent Information Pack to edit
Do you have to rent the whole lodge?
For Snowline outside skifield open dates, yes, but you don’t need to fill it! We host a lot of smaller groups of 25 people.
For Forest Lodge, no. You can have smaller groups but you may be sharing with other travellers.
How to check availability?
You can check Snowline by Visiting our booking site, scroll to the Venue Hire tab, and type in your desired dates. Available dates are shown in green. For Forest Lodge, enquire via https://www.forestlodge.info/
Book early to secure your preferred date.
