Facilities & Services
Methven is a small country town, but it has all the necessary facilities and services for skiers and travellers. In addition to shops and cafés, there is a laundrette, pharmacy and post office.
Methven Ski and Snowboard Rental
You can rent ski and snowboard equipment in Methven or at some of the ski fields. The advantage of the latter is that you don’t have to lug it up the mountain, and can change the equipment during the day if required. However it is cheaper to hire skis and snowboards in Methven, and for some ski areas, hiring in Methven is the only option. There is no rental gear at
Broken River,
Craigieburn, or
Mt Olympus, and the
NZ heli ski operators don’t rent out ski or snowboard equipment.
There are two ski and snowboard shops that rent equipment including fat skis for heli-skiing and cat-skiing. Both shops are centrally located in town, and they all do repairs.
The pick is
Big Al’s which is located opposite the Brown Pub. They have a range of ski and snowboard equipment for hire for beginners up to experts. Big Al’s used to be renowned as the specialist in snowboards, with a range of high end boards and bindings. However they now also cater very well to skiers, and have a good range of powder skis. Considering the fickle weather around Methven, Big Al’s has a refund policy in the event that Mt Hutt (or other ski fields or heli-skiing) is closed.
Jace’s Ski Hut used to be geared up for skiers only, but they’ve now branched out to include snowboard hire. They pride themselves on quality service provision and their range of executive skis.
It’s possible to purchase insurance for the hire equipment for a couple of dollars. Get the insurance unless you’ll definitely only ride on the groomers.
Mt Hutt ski resorts and other ski fields near Methven have perilous rocks. And if
heli skiing in New Zealand, definitely get insurance as sharp rocks seem to pop out from nowhere, the type that are RIP for a board or skis!
Facilities for Children
Some of the resort accommodation in Methven is quite child friendly and they can organise babysitting services.
Brinkley resort is one such example. If skiing or snowboarding at Mt Hutt, childcare and children’s programs are available. Unfortunately childcare is not offered at
Porters ski field,
Craigieburn or
Mt Olympus.
For older children, there is an indoor skate park in town, but for activities such as swimming you’ll need to go into Christchurch.
Banking and Internet Facilities
Methven has an ATM in the main street near the tourist information shop.
There are a couple of shops and cafes that provide internet access for a fee, and there are computers available at the Activity Centre in Forest Drive. Various accommodation establishments provide complimentary wireless internet access, and a few provide computers as well.
Ski & Snowboard Hire Listings
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Big Al's Ski Shop
Located in Methven. Big Al's sell & hire a range of quality snowboards and skis as well as ski & snowboard wear. They also rent fat skis for heli skiing.
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