KEY POINTS:
It's the only way to travel when you are desperate to sample the first snow of the season but loathe traffic queues - so we head for the helipad.
As we duck under the rotor blades and clamber aboard the Mount Hutt Helicopter, we feel like Russian oil
moguls minus the caviar and fur coats. Seconds later we are soaring upwards, enjoying spectacular views over the Rakaia Gorge, the Canterbury Plains and the Pacific Ocean.
Despite the champagne lifestyle we are on a beer budget, and thankfully the 15-minute chopper ride doesn't bring us down to earth with a nasty bump - at $155 a person the trip is surprisingly affordable.
Our pilot tells us helicopters are becoming popular with tourists wanting to enjoy some of the best views in the Southern Hemisphere and heliskiers escaping the heavily populated groomed runs to explore virgin snow.
Fishermen are also using Mount Hutt Helicopters to reach some of the world's finest trout and salmon runs.
"We've even had bloodied deer carcasses strapped to the side of the chopper as we've brought hunters back from a day's shooting."
Within minutes of dropping on to the helipad we snap on our skis and head for the slopes. Mt Hutt enjoys the longest and most consistent season in New Zealand, from early June to October.
The ski area is a huge open bowl rising to 2075m, receiving some of the lightest, driest powder snow in Australasia. The skiable area of nearly 150ha has superb runs for every level of skill and stunning views over the vast patchwork quilt of the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch.
The base has a self-service cafe, licensed brasserie and bar, a creche, equipment hire and training services. A new alpine pub is also nearing completion.
Thanks to the overnight efforts of the snow-making machines and grooming crews, we are soon blasting down the mountain with all the other happy skiers.
A few hours later, we are back on the slopes but this time there are no skiers. It is pitch dark and the temperature has plummeted to an uninviting - 5C.
Fortunately, I am in the heated cabin of a $500,000 Pisten Bully snowcat.
With its computerised dashboard, it looks more like the cockpit of a 747 aircraft than a bulldozer, and it quickly becomes obvious that there's a lot more to getting a lift operating than just waiting for a bit of snow and flicking a switch.
Behind the scenes, lift mechanics, snowcat drivers, snow-making teams, the ski and avalanche patrol and dispatchers are working hard to give every customer a fun-filled, safe experience.
An alarm sounds, and the team springs into action. One of the pumps to the snow-making machines has a problem.
Greg Maw, the grooming team leader at Mt Hutt, explained: "When there's not much natural snow at the beginning of the season, we create two-and-a-half million litres of artificial snow a night, and then make sure it's sitting in the right places for the skiers."
The Mt Hutt snowcat fleet of four operates one shift a night on the mountain. Depending on conditions, they can cover up to 100ha a night.
Maw trundles down a steep slope, then up and over a lip. I grip the sides of my seat. It isn't too dangerous, Maw says, because the machines are like slow, heavy tanks, and there isn't much to hit. But without proper training and experience a driver could get into trouble.
"You've got to know the mountain inside out," Maw says. "If it's a white-out, drivers need to know where they are and how to get down the mountain."
Back at the SkiTime Hotel in Methven, we warm up with a delicious pizza and glass of excellent pinot noir in front of a roaring log fire.
The next day's fun starts with lunch in the refurbished Blue Pub. Chef Gary's famous blue burgers or lamb shanks are a must, but there's also local produce such as venison, lamb and salmon.
Fillet of salmon can also be enjoyed across the road at the old post office, which has been renovated to become The Last Post Cafe. The salmon was caught that day in the Rakaia River, a 10-minute drive from the restaurant.
Soon we are on the move again, heading to Hanmer Springs to soak in the thermal pools. We stop for lunch at Woodend Beach for an introduction to the dynamic and lively Teppanyaki Queens, sisters Anna Scott and Cat Scott-Hewitt.
Breaking into the male-dominated Japanese cooking style of teppanyaki 12 years ago wasn't easy, and Cat says her Japanese head chef didn't speak to her for a year because he resented having a woman in the kitchen. Their cuisine is gluten-free and dairy-free, combining local prawns, scallops, venison and salmon with teriyaki, nori, miso, wasabi and tamari.
The Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa were developed in 1879, when an iron bathing shed was built so patients at the neighbouring Queen Mary Hospital could benefit from the therapeutic effects of the waters.
It is now a luxury health resort, and the mineral pools, saunas, spas and massage facilities make it a perfect place to unwind after skiing and partying. I had an Alpine Aqua Vichy Scrub - a full body sugar scrub exfoliation followed by a massage with the soothing waters of the Vichy shower - which felt a bit like going through a car wash minus the vehicle.
After dinner at Malabar Restaurant, noted for its fusion of Asian and Indian ingredients, we go back to the hot pools for a moonlight dip with a cooling glass of champagne. Life doesn't get much better.
Our hotel is the Heritage Hanmer Springs, set among mature trees and surrounded by distant hills. Missing the buzz of the ski slopes, I find fresh excitement quad-biking through the dramatic Waiau Gorge. Wet-weather gear and gumboots are a must as we tear along muddied trails, ploughing through giant puddles, leaving our mud-caked faces unrecognisable.
It's a bit of a contrast to arrive back in Christchurch where punts glide down the Avon River and the Anglican Cathedral in the central square, stone-walled bridges and gardens and parks create a tranquil English ambience. It's hard to believe it's all the same country.
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand has regular connections to Christchurch. See www.airnz.co.nz
ACTIVITIES
Information about Mt Hutt is at www.nzski.com/mthutt/.
For more about Hanmer Springs see .
FURTHER INFORMATION
You can find out more about Canterbury's attractions at www.christchurchnz.net or by ringing 03 379 9629
Keith Perry travelled courtesy of Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism and Air New Zealand.
