FOR SALE: New Zealand Ski Resort

Have you ever wanted to own a ski resort? The Ōhau Snow Fields on the South Island in New Zealand is for sale, allowing you to escape the United States and actually have affordable health care.

HNR Hotel News reports that after 33 years of running the mountain, the Neilson family has listed the Lake Ōhau Lodge and Ōhau Snow Fields for sale. Mike Neilson who is the co-owner of the property, explained to the Otago Daily Times why they’re selling it:

“We brought up three children, we’ve now got five grandchildren, and we’re still going 24/7 with it. We just can’t keep doing that. We’d like to think a nice family would take it over and carry on the heritage…It’s just it’s own place really, we’ve always maintained that we’re just the caretakers of something very special. And we’re just passing the baton.”

The sale includes the Ōhau Snow Fields, which is known for its powder skiing. The mountain has fifteen trails and three lifts, with more terrain accessible by hiking. In total, there are over 618 acres of skiable terrain. The ski field hosts international teams throughout the winter.

Located a twenty minutes drive away from the ski resort is the Lake Ōhau Lodge. This 72-room hotel includes a restaurant, game room, disc golf course, tennis court, and spa. The main decision for the new owners will be whether to renovate and expand the lodge or build on the two other possible sites that come with the purchase. There’s also the potential to start from scratch and rebuild it as a luxury hotel.

Tim Rookes, who is CBRE Christchurch Managing Director, described the potential to grow the accommodations:

“The potential to renovate the existing 72-room lodge or develop a new luxury accommodation offering opens up endless possibilities for creating an unforgettable experience for guests, surrounded by the picturesque beauty of the Southern Alps.
Over the years, the lodge has become an integral part of the South Island regional tourism landscape, strongly supported by the key attractions of the Ōhau Snow Fields and the world-famous Alps 2 Ocean bike trail. Located within Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s largest dark sky reserve, the property is surrounded by other outdoor experiences such as Aoraki Mount Cook, Tasmin Glacier, trout fishing, boating and stargazing.”

The sale, which is being done by CBRE Hotels’ Director Tom Gibson and CBRE Christchurch Managing Director Tim Rookes, is expected to close on September 7th. Some photos and mountain stats of the ski field are below.