Mount Hutt Adventure Balloons NZ

Stay

There are no on-mountain places to bed down here but there are a number of options in the town of Methven, about 30 minutes away, including The Studio at Northfield (northfield1914.co.nz). Set beside a century-old restored homestead, this apartment has a private entrance, kitchenette for your morning coffee and looks directly out to Mount Hutt. If you don’t mind a slightly longer drive, there’s Terrace Downs Resort (terracedowns.co.nz), which offers self-contained villas with views across the glacier-fed waters of the Rakaia River and up into the Southern Alps. Plus there’s an 18-hole championship golf course right on your doorstep.

Eat and drink

Don’t expect gourmet fare – this is a farming town. The Blue

Pub Methven (thebluepub.com) attracts a crowd no matter what day of the week and has regular live music; order the satisfying Big Blue Tower Burger. The best food and laid-back atmosphere are served at Ski Time Restaurant

& Bar (skitime.co.nz), with views of the slopes you sped down earlier. Sit beside the stone fireplace or meet the locals at the bar, where the stories get livelier the later you linger.

Off-piste

Head almost 2000 metres above ground in a hot-air balloon with (adventureballoonsnz.com), departing from Methven. You’ll see New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook, and if you squint, you can just make out the Pacific Ocean across the Canterbury Plains. Or take a jet boat (discovery jet.co.nz) up the Rakaia River, stopping at tiny islets and sandy beaches along the way. Combine your ride with a scenic helicopter flight or a rafting adventure down the rapids.

In the race to Queenstown, many Australian skiers overlook Mount Hutt (mthutt.co.nz). Yet it’s easy to get to (just 90 minutes drive from Christchurch Airport), is among the largest ski areas in New Zealand and has one of the longest snow seasons in the Southern Hemisphere. If you come during the week, you’ll pretty much have the place to yourself and kids aged seven and under ski for free.