Wanaka

Who wouldn't want to escape summer in Europe to find their beloved snow in the southern hemisphere? But somehow summer activities like biking are fun too. So why choose just one option? Word has spread to Europe in recent years that New Zealand is also a great place for biking. We used our ski trip to the other side of the world to explore New Zealand's excellent trails by bike. Here are our experiences, the advantages of a combined bike & ski trip to NZ and what you should definitely bear in mind...

The location of the ski resort at the entrance to Mt. Aspiring National Park near Wanaka is breathtaking and so is the freeride terrain in the area itself. The modern lifts and the favorable location for snowfall in the west of New Zealand's South Island make Treble Cone, or TC as the locals call it, one of the best freeride spots in the southern hemisphere. Reason enough to give TC a thorough spot review!

In the north-western part of the Southern Lake District on the South Island of New Zealand lies Wanaka on the lake of the same name. The panorama is at least as impressive as in relatively nearby Queenstown, but the atmosphere is a little more relaxed and less touristy. The nearby ski resorts of Cardrona and Treble Cone are two first-class ski resorts offering everything from freeride to world-class freestyle. And the town of Wanaka itself also has plenty to offer, from bars to leisure activities, in addition to the lakeside promenade. It's not for nothing that New Zealand freeski stars such as Jossi Wells, Janina Kuzma and Sam Smoothie live here.

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.

For many freeriders who can hardly wait for the next winter, New Zealand is one of the first places to escape the European summer for snow. But New Zealand is also a popular destination for non-winter sports enthusiasts: the two islands offer breathtaking landscapes, infrastructure on a European level and locals who are helpful and open to visitors. Combine these advantages with your favorite sport and you have the potential for one (or more - beware of addiction!) unforgettable trip. In the following weeks you will find extensive information on resorts, transportation and much more in our "Freeriding in New Zealand" series ...