Snow chains and winter driving in New Zealand

Visitors often picture a snowbound country in winter. The reality is milder: snow settles at sea level only rarely, and most main roads are cleared quickly. But a handful of alpine routes can catch you out.

Where it actually snows

In the North Island, ground-level snow is largely confined to the central plateau a few times each winter. In the South Island it is more common but still localised — the alpine passes, the high country and the ski-field access roads. Coastal Christchurch, Nelson and Dunedin see snow only occasionally, and it seldom lasts.

Roads to watch between June and September

• Arthur's Pass and Porters Pass, inland from Christchurch.
• Lewis Pass, on the northern route to the West Coast.
• The Crown Range road between Queenstown and Wanaka — the highest sealed road in the country.
• The Lindis Pass, on the inland route north from Cromwell.
• The road from Te Anau to Milford Sound, where chains are sometimes formally required.
• Every ski-field access road.

Do you need chains?

In summer, no. In winter, most travellers never fit them: when snow falls on a state highway, graders clear it quickly, and if conditions get bad the road is simply closed rather than left open with chains required. Chains are genuinely useful for ski-field access roads — some of which require every vehicle to carry them — and for getting a stuck car off a road before it closes.

Winter driving basics here

• We do not use studded or dedicated snow tyres; standard tyres plus grit on the road is the norm.
• Black ice is the real hazard, especially on shaded bends and bridges before 10am.
• Slow right down, brake early and gently, and leave far more following distance than usual.
• Days are short. A drive that takes four hours in summer may need daylight planning in July.
• Check the national road-conditions service and the weather forecast the morning you travel, not the night before.

If the idea of icy alpine passes takes the fun out of it, this is exactly where a local driver earns their keep. Our drivers run these roads all winter, in vehicles equipped for them, and know when a route is not worth attempting.