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RNZ News
11 hours ago
- RNZ News
'It's all go, everyone's really buzzing' on Mt Ruapehu
October at Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu, 2023. Photo: Supplied/ Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Ruapehu's mayor is happy with how this years ski season is shaping up, under new operators . Whakapapapa Holdings now manages Whakapapa ski field on Mount Ruapehu while Pure Tūroa manages Tūora field. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) which oversaw both ski fields, went into insolvency in 2022. Mayor Weston Kirton said while the start of the 2025 season was slow due to low snowfall, things are looking better now. "June was a bit spasmodic but kicked in a bit more with July. So from my understanding is that they're good to go, they've got enough snow to allow people to go up there and enjoy both at the beginning level, if not in the intermediate level. "I think it's all go, everyone's really buzzing, everyone's excited and both sides of the mountain with new ownership, but they got new ideas and I think they've had a huge number of people over the school holidays for example, both visiting and also skiing. "So from the point of view of ski season, we're off to a pretty good start," Kirton said. The Delta Chair is likely to open on Saturday, and Tūora ski field is also opening its upper mountain facilities. Kirton also reflected on the journey to secure government funding that enabled the continued operation of both Whakapapa and Tūroa ski fields following the collapse of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL). "The snow industry is critical to our economy and regional tourism. It's fantastic to see Whakapapa and Tūroa up and running again, but we must keep building on this success." Kirton said he was hopeful for a few more snowfalls to help extend the season and encouraged people to visit the maunga [mountain] and enjoy all the experiences Ruapehu has to offer - on and off the slopes. He also stressed the need to keep building on the economic momentum generated by the ski areas. "Council is committed to working with government and others to complete our cycle and hiking trail networks which are turning Ruapehu into a true year-round destination while providing much-needed economic resilience." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
17 hours ago
- RNZ News
Country Life: How an Auckland farm increased profitability
Nigel and Merrin Upchurch run Waitangi Farm, about 48-hectares in Waiuku, an hour south of Auckland. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life On Waitangi Farm near Waiuku, about an hour south of Auckland, pigs and cattle graze below solar panels. It's part of a growing trend of agrivoltaics, solar systems that run alongside agriculture. Nigel and Merrin Upchurch returned to her family farm about 10 years ago, after living in Amsterdam where Nigel worked as a motion designer and 3D artist while Merrin completed her doctorate in ecology. "For me the farm is a classroom for me to continuously learn," she told Country Life . Running the 48-hectare property has deepened her appreciation for farmers working to improve soil and water quality, while trying to maintain a profitable business. Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. A desire to be outside and working with animals was part of the appeal for Nigel and Merrin coming home as well. "This farm is where I grew up so it was a real coming home for me. When we were living in Europe in Amsterdam, I really missed the animals and being outside." The couple started raising pigs as Merrin's mum Judy had planted a lot of fruit and nut trees. The pigs graze below and hoover up the excess windfall produce. They have a handful of breeding sows, a boar and young "boar-to-be", and when Country Life visited, two litters of six piglets each. "There was huge demand for the Berkshires because they've got a great rep," Nigel explained. "They're known as the Wagyu of the pork world and they are beautiful meat, nicely marbled, delicious quite frankly." Six hungry piglets enjoy their breakfast. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life Merrin said the domestic pork industry had taken a hammering because it was cheaper to import from overseas, where many countries had less stringent welfare standards. "There's nothing better than your own pork," she said. "Fattened on chestnuts and free-range like this, it's a completely different type of meat." The pigs are also fed foodscraps from a thrice weekly run to the local supermarket, which help add nutrients back into the soil. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life The couple also run pigs. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life The pigs are also fed foodscraps from a thrice weekly run to the local supermarket, which helps add nutrients back into the soil. Woodchips from fallen and felled trees on the property are added where the pigs roam during the winter months to reduce mud and absorb excess nitrogen. "With the amount of produce we're bringing into the pig areas there's actually quite a bit of nutrient coming into the areas. "This farm was actually run as an organic property for about 15 years, and so the inputs that have been added to the property in terms of fertiliser have all been natural products," Merrin said. From left: Woofers Tommy Falconer and Tilly Millson have been helping the Upchurches with feeding stock and planting native trees. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life Rotating stock including young mobs of heifers up to 200 kilograms also helps, as the cattle eat down the tougher grass the pigs don't like to eat. The couple aim to run the farm with as few external inputs as possible, with hopes to see it eventually become carbon-neutral, if not a carbon sink. It's why over 18 months ago they added over 3000 solar panels across 3 hectares of the farm. It's the first solar farm built and operated by Lightyears Solar. Lightyears Solar owns the panels and leases the land from the Upchurches. It operates the single-access tracking system which sees the panels follow the sun, Lightyears Solar co-founder and head of development Matt Shanks explained. "It works better with the livestock." The couple run mobs of young heifers, up to about 200kg, under the solar panels across 3-ha on the farm. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life The farm generates enough energy to power between 600-700 homes near Waiuku - about 2.4 megawatts or 2400 kilowatts. Even on a grey, drizzly winter day, as it was when Country Life paid a visit, the panels still generate about 25 percent of their usual production. It's an example of agrivoltaics, the practice of simultaneously using land for solar energy production and agriculture, such as growing crops or grazing stock beneath the panels. As one of the first large agrivoltaic set-ups in New Zealand, there was a lot of "learning along the way", Shanks said. Agrivoltaic operations are still at the experimental stage in New Zealand and typically include smaller grazing animals like sheep, so running young cattle has added challenges. Shanks recalled running experiments with bamboo poles across the paddock to work out the height needed to be able to run cattle below. The answer? About 1.6 metres off the ground, so the heifers are unable to cause mischief by eating the wires. The dual land use with young cattle grazing beneath has made the farm more profitable. "Per hectare this is now the most profitable part of the farm," Nigel says. Lightyears Solar co-founder and head of development Matt Shanks and farmer Nigel Upchurch. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life The couple run mobs of young heifers, up to about 200kg, under the solar panels across 3-ha on the farm. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life It aligns with the couple's values and has also added environmental benefits. The solar panels provide shelter for the stock on wet wintry days and during the heat of summer. "This summer and autumn was really dry and we actually noticed the grass was greener under the panels, so we're getting less water evaporation," Merrin noted. While power generated from the farm currently goes back into the grid, the couple hope they will soon be able to run the farm and their house from the solar panels. "Something we're really keen on is reducing the carbon footprint of the property," Merrin said. In the meantime, new farms are going up around the country, maximising the amount of limited land for solar farms. Lightyears Solar has developed new ones in Canterbury and Wairarapa, with hopes to continue. Learn more:
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Tramper rescued from Tongariro Crossing 'knows he had a close call'
Police said the man realised he would not be able to make it through the Tongariro Alpine Crossing alone. Photo: Supplied / NZ Police A tramper rescued from Tongariro Alpine Crossing 'knows he had a close call', police say. The man called police at about 7.30pm on Saturday, after getting into difficulty on the crossing and realising he would not be able to make it out alone. Senior Constable Barry Shepherd of Taupo Police Search and Rescue said it was an example of how things could go wrong quickly. "He realised that he was not dressed or equipped at all for the harsh reality of the landscape in winter," he said. "There had been recent heavy snowfall with freezing conditions. "He didn't have food with him or any extra gear for warmth or shelter. "Luckily, he realised his error pretty quickly and called us." Police Search and Rescue responded with a helicopter, alongside LandSAR. Despite being extremely cold, the man was not injured and was able to walk out. "I think he knows he had a close call," Shepherd said. "If conditions had worsened or he had been unable to make a phone call, he'd have been in real trouble." Anyone heading out into the back-country - even experienced trampers - needed to prepare for harsh conditions through winter, he said, as they could "change on a dime". "Particularly anyone heading out into the alpine environment should take and know how to use ice axes and crampons, and wear suitable footwear. "Take adequate supplies, clothing and shelter, and do your planning - know what the forecast holds and if you're at all in doubt about what conditions might be like, don't go." Department of Conservation Tongariro operations manager Libby O'Brien said the national park was a place "that demands respect". "Temperatures are often freezing, and drop even lower at night and at elevation," she said. "If you don't have alpine experience and the right gear, you need to think long and hard about whether you're going to be able to survive in these conditions. "We all love being out there, but ensure you know what you're doing so you don't put yourself and others at risk by being ill prepared." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
