How to get there
Where is Porters?Porters ski field is located near Porters Pass 89km west of Christchurch on highway 73. It is 41km from the town of Springfield.
Other resorts nearbyFor advanced skiers there might not be enough terrain at Porters to warrant more than one to two days, but with so many other places nearby you can sample multiple ski areas. Other nearby ski areas include
Broken River,
Craigieburn, Mt Cheeseman,
Mt Olympus,
Temple Basin and
Mt Hutt ski resort.
Getting To PortersFrom Christchurch take Highway 73 past Springfield over Porter's Pass. The turn-off is about 7km later and is well sign-posted. The 8km unsealed access road is possibly less intimidating than others in New Zealand. As to be expected there are no safety rails, but the road is pretty wide and in very good condition for a dirt road. Chains are required but there are no chain hire places nearby, so come prepared. Also come with petrol in the tank as the closest petrol stations are in Springfield or Arthur’s Pass.
For those too wary of driving all the way up, there is a free shuttle bus service from the chain fitting area to the ticket office. It operates every half hour from 10:00am to 12:30pm.
Alternatively there are shuttle buses from various towns and Christchurch.
Atomic shuttles provide transport for $20 return (a bargain!) with pickups from Christchurch city and airport, Darfield, Springfield or Sheffield. The latter pickups are only $10.
Snowork are another alternative if travelling from Christchurch.
West Coast Shuttles also provide transport.
Getting AroundThere is plenty of parking (free and unpaved of course) available which is only a stone’s throw away from the lifts and the day lodge. There are also the characteristic keas loitering about the carpark, waiting for people to depart to the slopes so they can munch on windscreens and roof racks.