90 minutes from Christchurch. Great place, especially for families. Gets terrific sunshine
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Of the ski options near Christchurch, Mount Cheeseman is one worthwhile of consideration. It has superior facilities than all accept Mount Hutt and Porters. Moreover, the skiing itself is reasonable and it does not attract crowds. The onfield accommodation options are certainly worthwhile too.

The lifts are dated, though they are friendly and easy to use. This is not the case for neighboring options Broken River, Craigieburn Valley or Temple Basin. Also, unlike all three, Cheeseman is suited for all levels. Children and beginners will find it to meet their needs.

The backcountry options are reasonable. Above all, Cheeseman is a good place for two days skiing with ski in and out accommodation.
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We went up to Cheeseman with about 20cm Pow, just enough to have a bit of fun.

Finished the whole field in half a day so decided to cross the boundary and go 'slack country'. Great area with the tarn basin highly accessible from the top T bar. Is possible without hiking.

Would highly recommend for a first time backcountry-er.
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I was delightfully surprised by Mt Cheeseman. I had the impression that it was just a tame and lame ski field for beginners and families, but I came and I was put to shame! Sure Cheeseman doesn’t have much vertical, but the steep upper part of the field and the easily accessed backcountry are more than enough to keep an experienced rider very happy. And whilst there are quite a few visitors to Mt Cheeseman, not many of them venture onto the challenging slopes, so powder hounds won’t have to sharpen their elbows on a powder day.

As is reasonably typical of NZ club fields, some cons include: small ski area; basic on-mountain accommodation; a tricky access road and limited transport options to get there; and unreliable snow conditions. When I visited, some of the snow cover wasn’t just marginal; it was absent in parts, but lots of the NZ ski resorts had been struggling for snow at the time.

Pros of the ski field include: T-bars instead of nutcrackers; ski-in ski-out accommodation; inexpensive; and a drop-off area right next to the base facilities.
See our video here