Overnight on Mt Hutt they had 1.2 metres of snow. Which means there is a high risk of avalanches. All the runs need to be groomed with a piste basher. So the mountain is CLOSED for the day. Being there is so much snow in Methven and with a risk of it all freezing overnight I decide to drive to Christchurch after lunch. Once the snow ploughs had cleared the roads a bit and some had melted. I spoke to someone in Methven who said they only have this much snow every ...

I'd checked the snow conditions at Mount Hutt and decided I had time to fit in a cheeky day's ski-ing before going to stay with my friends in Christchurch. It had rained all night and all morning as I drove towards Ashburton. It was still raining when I stopped for lunch at Ashburton. I went into the information centre and asked about ski-ing and they said drive to Methven. I had driven 5 minues down the road when it changed from rain into snow. All the cars co...