Lots of snow and more on the way

Ski bunnies and snowboarders flocked to the slopes of Ruapehu in their thousands yesterday to enjoy some of the best snow so far this season.

Snow of "outstanding" quality, dumped during storms over the past fortnight, drew an estimated 6000 visitors to the Turoa and Whakapapa ski areas yesterday, said Turoa ski area spokeswoman Nadia Ferguson.

"We've been treated to some really, really good powder days over the last week or two," she said. "While we haven't had quantity, the quality has just been really, really great."

The snow depth reached nearly 2m yesterday after about 10cm to 15cm of fresh snow fell overnight.

Last Saturday was the biggest day of the ski season since its official opening on June 17, with about 10,000 people crowding the slopes of Turoa and Whakapapa.

Ms Ferguson said she was expecting the number of visitors to climb over the coming weeks.

More snow was expected overnight and fresh falls are predicted for today.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY