Christchurch

Even though the journey to New Zealand can take well over 40 hours, the country is quite rightly a popular destination for vacationers and freeriders who want to escape the summer in the northern hemisphere. In contrast to "normal" tourists, the travel-experienced freerider carries a lot more equipment with them and would like to get to less touristy places. In our second part of our "Freeride NZ" series, we give you tips and tricks on traveling in the land of the Kiwis so that you can get from A to B without any problems when hunting for the best runs.

As almost all ski resorts are at the end of forest roads, some of which are steeper (5 to 15 km), having your own vehicle is almost essential for unlimited winter fun. Check the notice boards in backpackers and other hostels or check the backpacker car market, preferably for a combo with four-wheel drive - but good sleeping bags are then a must!

Here are some ski resort tips from Alex Herbert, the maker of Kingswood Skis (bamboo skis made in Kiwi land)...