Siteseeing: Get ready to slope off

The town of Ohakune is gearing up for a bumper ski season.

There is skiable snow already and with the town's population swelling from 2500 to nearly 20,000 in the ski season, all the cafes and restaurants are ready for business.

In addition, the shopping centre has undergone refurbishment, with the mountain-peak theme extending to seating, street lighting and even rubbish bins.

A 16km drive up Mountain Rd from Ohakune, through the Tongariro National Park forest, is the Turoa ski field, newly combined with the Whakapapa field.

Both are being marketed as Mt Ruapehu, providing a number of advantages for skiers and snowboarders who can ski either side of the mountain for the cost of one lift pass. Mt Ruapehu also has a new internet site.

A useful feature of this site is its daily snow and weather report, which, as well as detailing the snow base, temperature, wind speeds, visibility and which of the lifts are operating, also reports on the state of Mountain Rd.

On days when the mountain is closed, there are plenty of activities in Tongariro National Park.

The Department of Conservation website gives an overview of what the Ohakune side of the park offers, while a comprehensive list of short walks and long tramps can be found at the Ruapehu Activities site.

The Ruapehu tourism site also lists places to stay in Ohakune. In general, weekend and school-holiday prices for accommodation are slightly higher than the weekday rates.

Links:


Mt Ruapehu

Department of Conservation

Ruapehu Tourism