Highway 73 – The Great Alpine Road by Sam Masters

Words by Sam Masters

Is the Great Alpine Highway 73 a pilgrimage, adventure, destination or just an asphalt Tardis? This legendary stretch of tarmac captures the soul of New Zealand freeride. It is a storied road that for snowsport tragics carries all the weight and meaning of Route 66 or the Gunbarrel Highway. Let’s take a trip on this most (in)famous of Kiwi roads; for so long the subject of art, movies, fiction, and documentary. 

Skier finding the goods at Broken River

Time is your most precious resource. It can’t be bought, sold, rented or financed. Seconds count during that portion of your life lived in good health and good humour.  Regrettably time flies when you’re having fun. That’s why the best way to make your winter holiday feel three times as long is to give up worrying the day you hit the highway. The other way to make the most out of your holiday is to drive with intent along one of the world’s truly great mountain roads…

The principal attraction along The Great Alpine Highway 73 for skiers and snowboarders is the six Selwyn resorts (Mt Olympus, Porters, Broken River, Mt Cheeseman, Craigieburn Valley and Temple Basin). There is nothing in the snowsports universe quite like these mountains. They are a treat for the adventurous, with lashings of Kiwi ski culture, all served up on the arc of the mighty Southern Alps. 

The six Selwyn resorts have accommodation either on the mountain or nearby (at Methven, Castle Hill or Arthurs Pass depending on the field). It is best to be anticipatory; as storms approach Canterbury, figure out which resorts stand to benefit most. Then stay on the mountain while the storm rages, for the (hopefully) awesome powder day when it clears.

The winding road up to Porters Alpine Resort

Temple Basin is a myth, a rumour, a place of pilgrimage, a test of endurance, and lies as close to the sacred heart of the Main Range as you can get. No trip to Temple is ever anything less than an adventure. A description of the facilities, infrastructure and even terrain is unnecessary. You just need to get up there, breathe deep, soak up the view, and smash some turns. That is all. 

The BBQ on the Palmer Lodge deck - with Keas lapping the lard out of the fat reservoir - is quintessential New Zealand. Happy punters fry Pak’n Save bangers, venison, and crayfish in quick succession. Everything tastes better off that hot plate - and if you’ve made the mistake of bringing a vegemite sandwich, to save weight, then you’ll be gazing at the griddle with labrador eyes all afternoon. If you do manage to actually go skiing then the ridge tow accesses some of the tastiest side country in Canterbury. 

Broken River Ski Area

Just to get to Craigieburn Valley you have to escape the Canterbury Plains; essentially a 60-minute remix of one paddock surrounded by a hedge. No two roads meet at right angles over the entire province.  Craigieburn has some of the best freeride terrain in the country, with more options than a Wall Street broker. Craigieburn Valley is steep. They don’t call it CragieBURN for nothing – by mid afternoon a few lactic grenades have exploded in your quads and you’re wondering if you’ve got another lap down to Avalanche Corner left in the tank. 

Porters is a commercial resort with the luxuries of alpine travel like a chairlift and espresso coffee served in the plush café. When it has coverage Big Mama is one of the best corn snow runs on the South Island. High on Bluff Face lurks cold, chalky, deep winter snow at almost any time of the season. This run hardly gets a sliver of sun and the snow stays cold. Porters is also the closest ski resort to Christchurch (89km) for those watching the clock.

Enjoy apres ski after a day on the slopes at Porters Lodge

It’s tough to have anything but a cruisy day at Cheeseman. It’s a family favourite with mellow runs off the T-bars, and deeper adventures in the surrounding slackcountry. If your motto is “never be in a rush to have a good time” then you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals who have left the 9-to-5 bustle at the office. 

Mt Olympus is the total package. The best place to start or finish a Selwyn roadie. It is a unique experience on a global snowsports scale; when conditions are on there really is no place like it elsewhere in the world. Mt Olympus is both the proving and breeding ground of some of the best Kiwi freeriders.

When it comes to great times at the Selwyn Six then extensive research, experience and luck will play their part, as is so frequently the case in life. The foolhardy and unprepared, however, can still have their day. That’s the nature of good snow and good weather - it doesn’t always reward the deserving and righteous. That might just be its principal attraction and reason enough to load up the ski wagon, hang a “gone skiing” sign in the window and head off along the greatest of Canterbury roads.

Burger and beer from Porters Lodge

Thirsty Acres in Kirwee

The Great Alpine Highway 73 Recommended pit stops east to west:

- Thirsty Acres, Kirwee. Rustic meets refined (in both décor and food) at this destination restaurant. 
- Sheffield Pies. The go-to fuel up on the way to the mountains.
- Taste of Kiwi Springfield Cafe. Excellent coffee and café staples. Last stop before the mountains.
- Porters Lodge – Café, bar and accommodation deep in the mountains - Apres Ski at its best.
- The Bealey Hotel. Eat, drink, stay, be merry – in one of the most iconic hotel locations in New Zealand