Mount Hutt, New Zealand ski holidays: A perfect blend of old and new

The second - this time constructed on site - was spartan but served him well. 

With only a stack of books, two field mice and a temperamental diesel heater for company, Huber battled blizzards, loneliness and frostbite but his assignment was a success.

A year later, in 1973, the first ski run in Mount Hutt was opened to great triumph. 

Arriving on the mountain, it's clear much of the historic feel of these early days has been maintained. Though the lift systems and infrastructure are modern — the whole area received a significant facelift in 2005 — the mountain base and main ski lodge have maintained something of a cosy, 70s lodge feel.

When I'd left the town of Methven – a 30-minute drive away –  a damp fog hung over the Canterbury Plains. Up here though, the sky is blue, the sun is shining and hundreds of people, mainly families with kids, are congregating around the lifts, building snowmen or sunning themselves on the outdoor patios.

Strapping into my snowboard, I ride the Summit Six chairlift up to  the top of the ski field at 2086 metres. Though there are only four lifts here, they are efficient, the six-seater "Six-Pack", as it's affectionately known, covers almost six metres a second, making it among the fastest in the world. 

I spend a few hours exploring the terrain; a mix of runs to suit most riding abilities. With 365 hectares of skiable area (the lack of trees makes it seem like way more) and four freestyle terrain parks, the slopes never feel overly-crowded.

Back at the ski lodge, I duck into Huber's Hut (of course), one of the mountain's two restaurants, to give my legs a brief reprieve. Inside there's an open fire, a low, wooden-beamed ceiling and a convivial air; the blended scents of  hot chocolates and soggy ski gear. 

At the counter I strike up a chat with Jonathan "Jonno" Beckett,  a veteran 60-year-old ski instructor with a neatly clipped salt and pepper beard and John Lennon-style reading glasses. Though he actually lives in Perth, Beckett first visited Mt Hutt in the late 1980s and has barely missed a season since, he now even owns a 50 per cent stake in a ski lodge in Methven.

"It got me on my very first visit," he says.

"In some places you're just another credit card. In Methven, people run little businesses to try and finance going skiing rather than being in a ski place to try and maximise business. We're a population of ski freaks, people from all over the world ended up here, thinking, 'I like this place, I like this mountain.' It almost has a time warp feel."

Out front, a snowman-making competition is in full swing. There's a bouncy castle, largely ignored in favour of an adjacent castle carved out of snow. A dedicated team of staff are on hand purely to keep kids entertained.

There's now an extensive range of childcare facilities on Mt Hutt. "Skiwiland", as it's known, caters to kids as young as three months right up to five years of age, with an early learning centre helping to make budding skiers out of fearless toddlers. Kids 10 and under also ski free, while many restaurants in Methven don't charge for children's meals.

Beyond the mountain, Methven itself has a laid-back alpine village feel. At the Blue Pub, so-called because it's well, painted blue, groups gather outside for après ski beers. Smoke winds from chimneys and intimate cafes serve rustic food and freshly baked meat pies. 

For dinner I drop in on Ski Time Lodge where Beckett is holding court at the bar. A posse of ski and snowboard instructors debates the likelihood of another imminent snowfall; the region has its own microclimate and consequently, everyone is a weather expert.

The next morning I check out Café Primo, a wonderfully kitsch institution where all the onsite curios, from ceramic owls to antique radios, are for sale. Right across the street, the Methven Heritage Centre offers further insights into the region's history. A range of interactive exhibits trace anything from the early ski culture of New Zealand to the country's first chairlift, opened by Sir Edmund Hillary at Mount Ruapehu on the North Island in 1954.  

But it's the mind-blowing tales of survival that grab me most. From a video menu, I watch a real life account of a man who survived an avalanche, keeping his camera rolling even as the monstrous wall of snow engulfed him.

Finally there is a replica of Huber's original hut. Huber himself is still alive, and now in his nineties, is still said to be a gun on the slopes. His huts proved less resilient though, and after the latest failed to survive another botched transportation attempt, the rubble was burned at its resting place, with a plaque now commemorating the original site. 

Perhaps it's fitting in a place less concerned with materialism and pretence and more concerned with old-fashioned values like community, heritage and above all, the spirit of adventure.   

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

See nzski.com 

GETTING THERE

Air New Zealand flies directly to Christchurch from Sydney seven times a week. Phone 13 24 76. See airnewzealand.com.au 

GETTING AROUND

Methven is approximately a 90-minute drive from Christchurch. Convenient car hire can be arranged through Touch Down Car Rentals. See touchdowncarrental.co.nz

STAYING THERE

Brinkley Resort offers cosy high country self contained accommodation in the alpine village of Methven at the foothills of Mount Hutt. Winter rates start at $150 for a studio and $255 for a two–bedroom apartment. See brinkleyresort.co.nz

Commodore Hotel offers stylish accommodation three minutes drive from the airport and 10-minutes drive from Central Christchurch. Rooms from $200 a night. See commodorehotel.co.nz 

SEE + DO

A September special has a 20 per cent discount on an  adult four day lift pass for Mt Hutt, starting at $270. Hutt is  scheduled to close on 4 October 2015. See nzski.com