Ashburton

Mt Hutt Ski Area - Miles Holden Image

The Ashburton District has snowboarding and skiing experiences for everyone - from complete beginners to advanced professionals. The district is also uniquely placed for keen skiers and snowboarders to take advantage of other ski fields in neighbouring districts, all within driving distance. Several district operators offer packages to these ski fields, ranging from day transport through to full instructional guiding and multiday adventures.

Mt. Hutt Ski Area, just 35 minutes from Methven, caters for beginners to advanced skiers and snowboarders, offering a range of on and off piste runs as well as fabulous on-field facilities, including everything from an award-winning ski and snowboard school, to a snowboard terrain park, licensed creche and a great bar and restaurant. Mt Hutt is known for its consistent snow and has the longest season of the major commercial ski areas in New Zealand. The last few years have seen multi-million dollar developments of the basin - quad- and six-seater chair lifts, magic carpets, increased snowmaking and all new trails.

Methven & Mt Hutt Heliski provides an incredible range of terrain in the Central Southern Alps, amongst the Arrowsmith, Ragged, Mt Hutt & Taylor ranges. Now in its 17th season, Methven & Mt Hutt Heliski opens up the New Zealand heartland for snowboarders and skiers of all abilities. Their helipads are situated at Mt Hutt Ski Area and Glenfalloch Station, a 40-minute spectacular drive up the Rakaia Gorge towards the Main Divide and within 10 minutes flying time you are amongst the best variety of heliski terrain in New Zealand. With over 100 square kilometres of mountains, there is scope here for all standards of boarders and skiers.

Historically, the Ashburton District is young by international standards, but is has a rich and vibrant history, built around its long-standing association with agriculture.

Ashburton Aviation Museum has with a huge collection of planes from yesteryear and displays of the years it spent as an air force training base during World War II. The museum is open for visitors on Saturdays and the 1st Sunday of each month, or by arrangement.

Ashburton Museum features a range of exhibits depicting local, national and international themes, which are regularly updated. Extensive records are available to researchers including genealogical, photographic, and local history information.

Ashburton Vintage Car Museum, located within the Tinwald Domain, displays vintage and veteran cars and other articles of motoring historical interest.

Lynn Historical Woodworking Trust is a museum of woodwork and ornamental turning located within the Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum complex. The museum boasts the second largest collection of ornamental turning lathes in the world.

Methven Historical Society & Museum shows themed displays that reflect the development of the District and includes a photograph and reference section.

Plains Vintage Railway & Historical Museum is located just off SH1 in the Tinwald Domain. The village includes a vintage railway (including a K88 Washington locomotive), replica shops, historic church, printing works, fire station complete with fire appliances from Ashburton's formative years, and an extensive collection of farm machinery including vintage tractor collections.

Staveley Historical & Geological Centre has an extensive geological collection and displays highlighting mining, timber, farming, education and community memorabilia.

Other heritage attractions include the Rakaia Gorge bridges, Highbank Power Station, or the stone Hakatere Homestead built in the 1860's. Many of the region's walkways include access to heritage items, including the old lime kilns at Staveley and Mt Somers, or the coal mines at Woolshed Creek.

The Ashburton District is a mecca for adrenaline and adventure activities - including jet boating, hot air ballooning, horseracing, sky diving, skiing, snowboarding, fly fishing, hunting and 4WD tours. From a majestic flight over the Canterbury Plains with views to the Southern Alps in a hot air balloon, to experiencing the thrill of horseracing firmly seated in a twin sulky at speeds of 50km/hour, the Ashburton District has something to cater for every interest. Join a tour and indulge in a 'Lord of the Rings' film site located within the stunning glacial valleys of the upper Rangitata River.

For the adrenalin junkie, why not take a wild water raft ride on the Rangitata, one of the country's best white water rafting rivers, jump out of a plane and go skydiving, mountain biking in the foothills or jet boating through the scenic Rakaia Gorge.

If you are looking for something more passive, then there's horse trekking across some of the district's most beautiful landscapes, scenic flights, wilderness and 4WD tours, or even ice skating or curling during the winter months.

With a district bordered by braided rivers, backcountry lakes, the Pacific Ocean, and the foothills of the Southern Alps, receational hunters and anglers are well catered for.

With headwaters in the Southern Alps, the Rangitata & Rakaia Rivers are noted for chinook salmon & trout fisheries, with trophy fish being regularly reported. The river mouths are one of the more famous fishing locations in the South Island, with very large numbers of salmon regularly caught there.

Recreational hunting is also a popular activity for visitors to the Ashburton District. Trophy hunting for red stags, fallow bucks, thar and chamois, goats, rams and wallabies can be organised by a number of specialised hunting guides in the district as well as bird shooting.