Unless you want to hit the slopes a bag of nerves I recommend taking the shuttle bus to the ski resort of Mount Hutt on New Zealand’s South Island. While your car or campervan rental company may well have placed a set of snow chains in the trunk, it doesn’t mean you’re obliged to scale every slippery slope encountered.

Instead, why not grab a coffee and catch one of the regular shuttle busses from Methven, Darfield or Christchurch? Instead of leaving fingernail imprints in your companion’s knee or discovering an invisible brake pedal, you can caress a coffee while an experienced driver takes the strain.

Now don’t get me wrong, the drive up the Mount Hutt access road is not impassable, nor is it impossible…most of the time. But even on a good day the unsealed, gravely track (video) can get a bit hairy. If the icy roads, bad weather, impatient locals in their towering 4x4s and uber-confident shuttle bus drivers don’t push you over the edge the jaw-dropping views just might.

And let’s face it, after a day on the mountain and a few face-plants, what better than a hot toddy at the bar at the bottom of the slope. And, if you’re on a shuttle bus, you could even have two.

 

Shuttle from Methven to Mt Hutt Return (1 Day)

Approx 30min journey time

http://www.ridesnowshuttles.co.nz

 

Shuttle from Darfield to Mt Hutt Return (1 Day)

Approx 1hour journey time

http://www.gnomes.co.nz

 

Shuttle from Christchurch to Mt Hutt Return (1 Day)

Approx 2hours journey time

http://www.mthuttsnowbus.com