Sep 29, 2017 as winter draws to a close and spring arrives, it brings with it the end of another successful ski season on mt ruapehu. Mt ruapehu opens for ski season on friday with free lift. Tukino is a club ski field, operated and maintained by club members, however it is still open to the public. Be excellent, have a crack, got your back and love the customer. Tens of thousands of people enjoyed the snow this winter, with amateurs, professionals, and families all venturing to national park to partake in the fun. Sightsee on the sky waka gondola and enjoy a buffet lunch or dinner at the pinnacles restaurant 2,020m above sea level. The latest release of mt ruapehu life passes, go on sale for a limited time only on september 19 th, and give people lifetime access to new zealands largest ski areas. A new state of the art gondola is set to transform the mt ruapehu visitor experience. Mt ruapehu business fights against cooling times nz. Travel television new zealand entertainment tvnz 1, tvnz 2. Average season duration in new zealand is 103 days. Get discounts with your mt ruapehu season pass in 2020 enjoy a discount on day passes when you visit our friends in the south island. Mt ruapehu season pass holders can ski at tukino for discounted rates. Youll find huge snow filled basins, steep chutes, dropoffs and secret powder stashes, as well as w.
The pass gives skiers and snowboarders unlimited access to upgraded mountain slopes for the upcoming 2002 season. Mt ruapehu offers best season pass price in over a decade. We ended up going to whakapapa because turoa was on hold for the whole day, it was sick but they didnt have a. The mountain sticks up at the centre of the north island and is exposed to moistureladen air and a maritime climate. Ruapehu lifts chief executive ross copland says an amazing amount of snowfall in may has set the industry up for a great season. Mt ruahpehu, whakapapa and turoa, have announced their 2020 season pass prices. Just an approximate 4 hour drive from either auckland or wellington, mt ruapehu is your premier north island ski resort. Snow factory product creates a place to slide, earlier than ever before. Mt ruapehu s october season pass sale is now on for the 2017 season. Click compare at the top left to see a season over season comparison of whakapapa snowfall. Ruapehu, on new zealands centre of north island, is defined by the three volcanoes that stand sentinel over a landscape of tussocked desert, rivers, lakes and thermal springs. It is 23 kilometres 14 mi northeast of ohakune and 23 km 14 mi southwest of the southern shore of lake taupo, within tongariro national park. Ohakune is an excellent base to experience mt ruapehu winter activities. To purchase a season pass or see the latest ski pass pricing info, visit the ski resorts website directly.
With a large focus on technical free skiing, athletes will learn to create these strong fundamentals and rapidly improve their ski racing. Mt ruapehu ski season still going strong into spring. Turoa provides these season pass prices directly to onthesnow or they are sourced from the ski areas website. Turoa and whakapapa are new zealand s two largest ski fields. The ruapehu season pass when purchased at the early bird rate is the best value pass in the sthn hemisphere. Explore whakapapa, nzs largest ski area, home to terrain for all snow lovers.
This content can be shared and edited for the purpose of promoting new zealand as a visitor destination. Oct 23, 2016 mean snowboard day trip up to ruapehu with my dowgs aiden bycroft and niklas meindl. A ruapehu season pass now buys skiers and snowboarders the chance to hit the slopes of the swiss alps. A third, smaller field, tukino, is located on the eastern slope of mt ruapehu. Ruapehu is a mountain created with skitouring in mind, with access, terrain and at times snow conditions that are hard to beat. Winter 2017 skiers flock to mt ruapehu for opening. Visitors to the area who hold a valid life, season or day lift pass including a. Athletes will be taught to trust the feelings they are given whilst pushing themselves to the limits to become the skier they aspire to be. May 31, 2018 mt ruapehu is celebrating the start of winter on friday june 1 tomorrow with free skiing and snowboarding at happy valley. Located on the vast volcanic central plateau, and inside the majestic dual world heritage site of tongariro national park, mt ruapehu is the undisputable winter playground of new zealands north island. North island secondary school ski champs at mt ruapehu with the team.
Mean snowboard day trip up to ruapehu with my dowgs aiden bycroft and niklas meindl. New zealands two largest ski areas with just one lift pass. Therefore whakapapa mt ruapehu is among the 3 ski resorts with best snow conditions in new zealand. Save time and money when you buy your mt ruapehu lift tickets in advance on liftopia. Ruapehu alpine lifts ral chief executive officer ross copland says,after the recent massive may snow dumps theres been lots of requests from the public around opening earlier than saturday. New gondola for whakapapa at mt ruapehu new zealand. If you prefer to give us a call, click the link below. It is just a 20min drive from plateau lodge to whakapapa and 55mins to turoa.
For more information on ski passes for mt ruapehu ski fields whakapapa and turoa please visit mt ruapehu ski passes tukino lift passes and season passes can be purchased at any time during the season from the ticket office at tukino. With two incredible snow capped ski fields to choose from, whakapapa and turoa. Only 12 hours left to get your hands on the amazing october price for our 2016 mt ruapehu season pass. If you are planning on heading across from aus then aim for mid to late august to september. Were also if you remember during the skin on the weekends up in the valley so you can actually see if you got this years season pass or a reminder last few days of a season pass sale for 2020 and the next few days is a seed hope you buy at any time season pass for mix. Get great deals for 250 resorts like mt ruapehu when you buy in advance. These images were taken at the 2016 subaru top weekend at turoa ski field. Travel television new zealand entertainment tvnz 1. Jun 27, 2017 ruapehu is home to new zealands largest ski resort, incorporating two ski fields whakapapa and turoa.
Situated within the dual world heritage tongariro national park, sky waka travels 1. Mt ruapehu, which forms part of the incredible tongariro national park is new zealands largest winter playground as well as being part of the countrys first national park and also a world heritage site. In summer, ride the chairlift and gain access to a spectacular mt ruapehu walk up to the crater lake. To see how much snow whakapapa got last ski season or any ski season dating back to 20092010, click the corresponding tab. There are warnings all around the ski field to tell you where the lave will flow and where to get to if a lahar or lava flow is detected. Mt ruapehu is home to the whakapapa and turoa ski areas. Ruapehus 6 glaciers in a day ski touring new zealand. Tickets available on line or from the ral snow depot just 100 meters up the road from us. Sightseeing on the sky waka gondola and the pinnacles restaurant open for lunch and dinner. Sledding on mt ruapehu is set to get a whole lot more expensive. Mount ruapehu is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the taupo volcanic zone in new zealand. The mt ruapehu ski areas often unfairly viewed as poor cousins of their south island. Bruce road mt ruapehu, tongariro national park, whakapapa, nationalpark. Turoa and whakapapas upper mountain opened on july 1 and by august.
If youre in the southern lakes in spring with 50cm base if youre lucky and the rain comes its game over for the season. With that in mind, its best to not come to new zealand with assumptions but do a bit of research beforehand. Ski, snowboard rental hire from us for mt ruapehu based in. While skier numbers at ruapehu have slid, queenstown has been booming. The volcano can get hit by some pretty serious storms causing closures during the winter season but in spring its the best place in the country to be skiing.
Buy a ruapehu 2018 season pass, ski the swiss alps nz herald. A ski season in new zealand is a pretty unique experience. While they are mere remnants of their former ice age size, they still provide some of the best skiing terrain around. Its quite simply the best value season pass in the. Whakapapa mt ruapehu features 17 sunny days on average per season. With two ski fields to choose from turoa and whakapapa mt ruapehu boasts new zealands largest ski area. Whakapapa update the far west t bar will not operate for the remainder of winter 2019. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of our maintenance team and the wire ropes specialist team at cookes, we cannot feasibly repair or replace the cable within the next two weeks prior to our winter season end on 28th october. Guests must lodge in panorama mountain resort accommodation for a minimum of 5nights. Whakapapa ski area is a great resort for families, beginners and the more adventurous skier or snowboarder. Mt ruapehu celebrating bumper start of winter with free. Towering above the desert in the middle of new zealands north island, breathtaking mount ruapehu is an active volcano with unimpeded, awe inspiring views reaching all the way to the coast. Whakapapa ski resort resort and ski area overview onthesnow.
Mt ruapehu gets some of the biggest snowfalls of any field in new zealand, and therefore has the resilience to handle rain. Thank you to each and every one of you for making this season happen. Facilities cater to all abilities from beginner skiersnowboarder to advanced. Mt ruapehu has partnered with zermatt, one of the largest ski areas in the alps, to offer.
In the summer ride the chairlifts up to the knoll ridge cafe to get quick access to several awesome walks on mt ruapehu. Operating ski areas here on mt ruapehu is unique, not only because were in a dual world heritage park, but because of the rime ice that comes with our storms. Mt ruapehu is actually new zealands largest ski resort with more than hectares of inbounds terrain between the two ski areas. Tukino offers discounts for club members, and ral season pass holders. Thousands enjoyed successful ski season on mt ruapehu. Chateau tongariro and first time skiing in whakapapa. Subaru drivers can look forward to the annual subaru top weekend at turoa ski field. If you have skied in europe, canada or north america, then youll find it a lot different in new zealand.
Situated in the centre of new zealands north island the ski areas at mount ruapehu are easily accessible from all directions ohakune with turoa ski area in background getting to the mountain is easy, with good quality sealed roads suitable for campervans complete with stunning scenery to enjoy along the way. Turoa ski field on the north islands mt ruapehu is offering free skiing after great snow conditions has allowed them to stay open for longer. First chair is at 9am yeeeww limited trails are available as we still need a bit more snow coverage for safe sliding. New zealands largest and most technically advanced gondola. In addition to snow history, you can also view the mountains base depth by selecting it from the dropdown. The early season opening is great news not only for mt ruapehu, but also the entire district as. These three volcanoes encompass tongariro national park new zealands first, and are also home to two commercial ski fields on ruapehu. Whakapapa and turoa offer over 700 hectares of patrolled skiable terrain on 52 groomed trails, with almost the same area off trail.
High on mt ruapehu lie the only glaciers in the north island. The region boasts the highest lift in new zealand and the longest vertical descent in australasia. Snow coverage is usually best during oktober, offering an average snow depth of 259 cm at summit elevation and 187 cm at the base. Subarus top weekend at turoa dates announced subaru of new.
The mt ruapehu volcano provides the countrys largest ski fields with two expansive resorts whakapapa on the northern side and turoa on the southern slopes. Kings ohakune guests can also slide on ruapehus whakapapa ski field for. The walk up to skyline ridge is fairly short with big rewards. The ski field is operated by ruapehu ski lifts and a lift ticket also grants visitors access to neighboring resort turoa. Season passes for mt ruapehu are now on sale, but only for four weeks.
The mt ruapehu crater lake has got to be one of the best one day hikes you can do. Okay so walking food offerings of the k s c so that kicks off tomorrow. We have permanent yearround positions and we are recruiting now. The remarkable alpine terrain is capped off by its own crater lake, warmed by volcanic activity, steaming at the summit. Learn about season passes and lift ticket offerings at whakapapa mt ruapehu, including discount lift tickets for youths, seniors, students, and kids as well as possible group discounts. Mt ruapehu 2016 2016 season dates 9th july until 2nd october introduction. Ride the countrys most advanced gondola, sky waka, high above the beautiful worldheritagelisted mountain area all year round. Mt ruapehu receives overwhelming response on first day of season pass sale mt ruapehu 28 september 2017. News from ruapehu alpine lifts new management the past 12 months have been a busy time at ruapehu alpine lifts ral. Mt ruapehu life passes back due to demand scoop news. People get their first touch of snow normally by just playing around and sliding on rubbish bags, and theres going to be a. If you hit the slopes four days or more during the season, a season pass offers you great value for money. The ski season at whakapapa usually starts in late june and runs through the end of october.
Aug 05, 2011 high on mt ruapehu lie the only glaciers in the north island. Mt ruapehu is home to new zealands largest and most developed ski areas, whakapapa and turoa. Winter 2017 skiers flock to mt ruapehu for opening wednesday, june 7, 2017 its official, the new zealand ski season has launched with the opening of mt ruapehus happy valley ski area a month earlier than in 2016. Sure ruapehu can have inclement weather at times but if you know when to go and keep an eye on the weather its all good.
Adjust your youtube settings to 1080p for high def viewing. Limited edition life pass returns to mt ruapehu scoop news. Mt ruapehu is an active volcano and it errupted in 1995 and 1996, when people were skiing on it. In some cases, ski resorts may be part of a multimountain ski pass, which will be indicated when those prices are displayed. You will view the largest crater lake on new zealands active mt ruapehu volcano. From today 29102019, mt ruapehu are officially into their summer season at whakapapa. Mt ruapehu striking gold on new zealands north island. Ski or snowboard two of nzs largest ski areas, whakapapa and turoa all winter long for action packed family fun all year. Day and season lift passes for tukino ski field, on mt ruapehu in new zealands north island.