Rainbow Ski Area is situated at the top of the South Island of New Zealand just off highway 63. It is about 1 hour 30 minutes drive from Nelson airport, 1 hour 20 minutes drive from Blenhiem, 1 hour 40 minutes from Picton and 1 hour 20 minutes drive from Murchison.
The ski area is serviced by St Arnaud Village which is on the edge of the Nelson Lakes National Park. The ski area is a 40 minute drive from St Arnaud along State Highway 63 (SH63).
From State Highway 63, turn onto Rainbow Valley Road (also known as Wairau-Hamner Springs Road). Turn right if coming from Nelson or St. Arnaud, turn left if coming from Blenheim. Drive along the 12km sealed road. The road passes through five fords before reaching the bottom-of-the-mountain car park at Six Mile Creek. The mountain road winds alongside Six Mile Creek through native beech forest and up towards the ski area above the tree line. Chains must be either fitted or carried by ALL vehicles once past the bottom car park. A shuttle service from the bottom car park is available for those traveling without chains. For more information on the shuttle click here.
Enjoy the beauty of our mountain without the skis! We invite you to experience the snow and stunning scenery. To help us maintain our road and facilities for everyone to enjoy in the future, we kindly ask our non-skiing visitors for a suggested donation of $10 per adult and $5 per child.
As a club-run operation, we face rising costs, your contribution will help us continue to provide a wonderful mountain experience for years to come. You can stop by the ticket window to make the suggested donation.
If you intend driving up the Rainbow Access Road it is MANDATORY that you have a set of chains, from the bottom car-park onwards. Even on days where chains do not need to be fitted, you MUST still carry a set of chains that will fit your vehicle. Conditions in this Alpine environment can and do change rapidly requiring that you fit chains to leave the mountain. For this reason chains must always be either carried or fitted to your vehicle. You will be turned away at the base of the mountain or at the top car park if it is discovered that you are not carrying chains. The shuttle service is a good regular service for customers who do not have chains for their vehicle.
No chains, No access, No exceptions
PLEASE BE CAREFUL ON THE MOUNTAIN ROAD – UPHILL TRAFFIC HAS RIGHT OF WAY and PLEASE TURN YOUR LIGHTS ON.
Chain Hire is available from the following locations:
The Boardsmith Motueka – T: 027 569 8524 (Chris)
The shuttle service is owned and operated independently by 4WD Bus, and is not operated by, or affiliated with, Rainbow Ski Area. 4WD Bus is solely responsible for the shuttle service, including pricing, timetables, and vehicle operation. Please direct all shuttle enquiries and payment questions directly to 4WD Bus using the contact details below.
Shuttle times and pricing (set by 4WD Bus — subject to change, confirm current details directly with the operator)
Available from 8am at the base of the mountain.
The shuttle will leave as capacity is reached.
Returning shuttles available from 1pm from top mountain carpark.
Final shuttle leaving the top of mountain at 4pm. You are responsible for arriving on time, shuttles do not wait.
For shuttle enquiries, contact 4WD Bus directly:
🔗 www.4wdbusnz.com/ski-field-shuttles
If you are looking for a ride from Nelson or Blenheim – or you have a car that you want to fill to share fuel costs then go to https://snowriders.nz/ You can look for ride on the day you want to go OR offer seats in your own car. Follow the steps in the website – its easy and its NZ’s most popular Ski car-pooling website. Please check back regularly if there doesn’t seem to be rides for you yet. We suggest a $20 donation for every person taking a car pool from Nelson or Blenheim.
https://snowriders.nz/
Remember to get someone to share costs – you need to advertise your space.
To get a lift you need to advertise that you need a ride.
As Rainbow is situated within public conservation land there are no dogs allowed even in your car. Please leave your dogs at home. Thanks
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/know-before-you-go/dog-access/where-can-i-take-my-dog/
Our conservation land is vitally important for the survival of endangered species. Many of our native birds are flightless and have few or no defences against predation. A dog is capable of sniffing out and killing a kiwi with ease and uncontrolled dogs can easily kill remaining kiwi populations.
Controlling dog access also protects and respects other people’s right to use and enjoy public conservation land.
You may be issued an infringement fine or prosecuted if you take your dogs into no access areas, controlled areas without a permit, or breach the conditions of your permit.
A dog may be seized and impounded or destroyed if it’s found in a national park or controlled dog area without a permit.