Roundhill Ski Area is a family owned and run ski area in Canterbury, New Zealand, in the Two Thumb Range near the town of Lake Tekapo, 1.5 hours from Timaru and 4 hours from both Christchurch and Queenstown. The main runs are accessed by a 1.2 km long T-bar (T1) and a shorter T-bar (T2). The ski area caters primarily to beginner and intermediate skiers with extensive use of two snow grooming machines. The base area is at an elevation of 1350 m, with the T-bars reaching 1620 m. The "Heritage Express" rope tow was added in 2010. This is a steep 1.5 km long rope tow rising 630 m to the Richmond Ridge at 2133 m, to give the field 783 m of vertical drop overall; the largest in New Zealand. This opened up a large ungroomed advanced area for skilled skiers and boarders. The Heritage Express was when installed in 2010, claimed to be the longest rope tow in the world at 1473 m. In 2019 it had 6 lifts and was described as having excellent beginner and intermediate terrain with a relatively sunny and warm aspect.

History

The access road and ski area was first developed in the early 1960's with The Tekapo Ski Club being founded on 25 May 1961. A commercial ski field lease occurred in 1973, with it being known as the Tekapo Ski Field before closing in 1990. The present ski field reopened in 2001. It was operated in 2019 by Tekapo Ski Field Ltd as a concession in part of Te Kahui Conservation Park. The core lease area is 860 ha and there is also a back country ski area lease of 1520 ha without avalanche control. The ski field visitor numbers more than doubled between 2001 and 2018 with its activity contributing to the local economy.

Round Hill

The ski area is on the southeastern slopes of Round Hill which has a height of 1588 m and the south western slopes of the Richmond and Two Thumb ranges which rise to a height of 2133 m near the ski field. The higher area is mainly scree above 1600 m. The slopes of Round Hill drain into the Coal River. In the ski run area they are covered in snow tussock Chionochloa macra and some Chionochloa rigida which is mowed on some of the ski runs to minimise the winter snow cover needed for skiing. Chionochloa macra dominates between 1600 and 1300 m descending lower on the colder south facing slopes while Chionochloa rigida dominates between 1300 and 1000 m and tends to be found higher on warmer sunny slopes. The gentle slopes used for the main ski field are related to underlying extensively oxidised greywacke while the lower western slopes of Round Hill have isolated outcrops of intensely clay altered and variably hematite stained greywacke. The East Forest Creek Fault runs along the course of the Coal River immediately to the north west of Round Hill.