Ashburton District has got it all. Mount Hutt ski field provides one of the longest runs and seasons in the Southern Hemisphere, which attracts several thousand skiers, and snow boarders to its slopes every season. Our Rakaia and Rangitata rivers are classified as nationally important angling rivers and offer many anglers each year opportunities for some excellent and safe fishing, while also providing thrill seekers with world class rafting and jet boating experiences. Beautiful back country lakes have a magic of their own.
Lake Heron is arguably the most important wetland wildlife habitat left in the South Island.
Lake Clearwater is home for the famous New Zealand Rainbow Trout and a mecca for wind-assisted sailboats, while Lake Camp is a favourite for boaties and water skiers. These pursuits along with trials for walking, tramping, mountaineering and mountain biking, wonderful updrafts for paragliding and picturesque spots for safe picnicing, provide the very best of Kiwi outdoor adventure and all of it is inexpensive and easily accessible. Ashburton District Tourism Board is the organisation responsible for the support and development of the tourism industry in the Ashburton District. The Board has been in existence since 1995 and has 211 tourism operators registered on its database.