Boarding and the Brinkley; A week Snowboarding at Mount Hutt in NZ

Relax. Lean back. Lift your ankles.
These are the things I chant as I start to slide down the beginner slope at Mount Hutt. My feet are locked and my arms spread eagled out. They make windmills every time I lean too far to one side.Snow crushes under the board as I start to pick up speed. I’m having a Bridget Jones moment; faster, fast, too fast! Little kids whoosh past on skis. I start wailing for it to stop.

Mount Hutt is one of New Zealand’s most popular ski spots. Just 90 minutes from Christchurch, the mountain draws boarders and skiers from all over the world and this year, after hearing about one of the sweetest snow showers in years, my friends and I decide to join them.
Squeezing ourselves into an all wheel drive Tarago we make the journey from Christchurch to Methven for a week of snowboarding, skiing and stacking-it on the slopes.

With mountains to one side and sheep farms to the other, Methven sits between Rakaia and Ashburton on New Zealand’s South Island. It’s green, wide and cool.

Our home for the week is the Brinkley Resort who provide us a modern, warm apartment with all the inside comforts to end a day on the mountain. I quickly learn that snowboarding is the best workout ever. Even sleeping hurts, so it’s the spa bath inside the apartment that becomes my best friend.

The cushions in our couch are too good to get up from and the view of the snow tipped mountains from our balcony has me reaching for my camera over and over again.

A family run business, the Brinkley supplies both snow bunnies and ski teams the world over with a comfortable place to stay.

It’s a quick slide into town to find places to eat, things to buy and pubs to drink at. One of my favourite places in town is the Primo Cafe. Half op-shop, half cafe, this place had me sifting through second-hand treasures for hours. Fuelled by great coffee, of course.

If you don’t have the energy to walk into town, the Brinkley’s Shackletons Bar & Grill will provide you with a belly-achingly good meal. The menu is full of strong, flavoursome meals like Oysters Kilpatrick, Pork Belly with Seared Scallops and Banoffi Pie. Yum!

And if you find yourself doubting the possibility of an empty plate at the end of the meal, then don’t worry, you can bag it up and eat it later.

Hot tip: Shackleton’s also provides room service and offers a daily dinner special that includes a set entree and main meal for $35. Not too shabby at all.

Around the resort there’s also two Jacuzzis, a tennis court, a mini golf course and a flock of sheep that live next door. Aren’t they just the cutest?!
From Methven, the Mount Hutt ski fields are less than an hour drive and it’s as simple as following the signs out of town.

And once you’re there, the mountain is yours to conquer. Ski passes can be purchased online or when you arrive. In the form of a card, the My Pass can be reused and topped up as you go. For an adult, one day on the Mountain using all the lifts is NZ$93.00 and as long as you don’t lose your pass, it’s NZ$88.00 each day after that.

As for ski gear, we decide to rent ours from Victoria Ski Sport in Christchurch as we find it to be cheaper than hiring on the mountain itself. But if you don’t have the car space, there are more than enough places to hire gear both in Methven and on the mountain.

After wailing down the beginners slope on my first day, I eventually advance to the Green run and even a Blue run a couple of days later. I go from novice to nearly as good as those kids on skis. And hey, even Bridget would be proud of that.

The Ski season at Mt Hutt runs until October this year. Get over there while you can.