Mt Cheeseman ski fieldA friendly ski area near Christchurch NZ

We are open to the public, and welcome all skiers and snowboarders.

• Convenient: second closest ski area to Christchurch, New Zealand. Just a 90 minute drive.
• Easy access: drop off your gear right at the Daylodge 20 metres from the lifts (car park just a short stroll away).
• Easy lifts: two T-bars and 1 learners’ rope tow right next to our base area lodges (no nutcrackers required).
• Fun terrain: groomed intermediate runs, off-piste steeper terrain for advanced skiers, and a dedicated learners’ area.
• Quench your thirst and appetite: Day Lodge with licenced cafe, barista coffee and sun-drenched deck
• Stay & play: two accommodation lodges: Snowline is catered, ski in, ski out accommodation. Forest Lodge is backpacker accommodation nestled in bush next to the ice skating rink and hiking/biking trails at the base of the mountain (open all year).

Cheeseman’s uncrowded slopes, cozy lodges and friendly vibe attract families and adventurers who share a love of the outdoors.

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Winter 2026 – What & Why Its Different?

As you know winter 2025 (and the preceding two winters) were a huge challenge for the Club with only two operational days under our belts!

Whether we open for 2 days or 72 days there is generally a long list of obligation’s, commitments and operational requirements to meet and given the fickle nature of recent winters we need to be nimble and flexible in how we operate.

With all that in mind the Committee have built a plan, an “operational model”, for winter 2026. This plan will help us get back on track and whilst intended at this stage for just this upcoming season, we hope to gain new learnings into how we operate longer term as we face the challenges of the variable weather patterns, less frequent snow, higher freezing levels, higher compliance costs & decreasing membership numbers – to mention a few!

The following are the key points for winter 2026 operations:

• Opening Date – Friday 17 July
• Closing Date – Sunday 27 September
• Operational days – Thursday – Sunday inclusive (four days a week with the exception of Ski Weeks – see point below)
• Days Closed – Monday – Wednesday
• Ski Weeks – up to three focussed and key ski weeks will be run during August (11 – 15, 18 – 22, 25 – 29)  and must reach minimum numbers to go ahead. Weeks will run Tuesday – Saturday. Ski Week Calendar available here
• DBBL Accommodation – Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights
• No Ski Hire
• No Snowsports instruction
• No beginners packages
• Reduced staff numbers from 16 to 9 (plus casuals and volunteers)

The above plan will be based on snow, weather, patronage and is focussed on reducing cost, overheads and risk as we head into another unknown winter. It may be revised during the season as needed to optimise the settings.

Its been a challenging time but we hope by acknowledging these challenges and making change we can keep Mt Cheeseman Ski Club alive and move into a new era by being adaptable during winters and building further on the summer operation as well.

Thanks for your ongoing support and as always we appreciate any feedback.