Latest news with #Whakapapa
RNZ News
26-07-2025
- Business
- 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
09-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Mt Ruapehu ski fields busy over school holidays, despite underwhelming snow season
Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu, 2023. Photo: Supplied/ Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Mt Ruapehu's ski fields have still been busy over the school holidays, despite a bad start to the season with little snow. This will be Whakapapa's first season under new operator Whakapapa Holdings, while Tūroa is also now being run by a new company, Pure Tūroa , after Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which oversaw both skifields, went into insolvency in 2022. Snow machines were keeping the learners slopes open at Tūroa and Whakapapa skifields after a wet June, which saw twice the amount of rainfall compared to the same time last year. But the chief executives of the new operations are adamant the best skiing is yet to come, and the lack of snow has not put people off. Chief executive at Whakapapa Travis Donoghue said the snow levels were lower than they would have wanted, but it was still early days. "[We've had a] bit of rain throughout June and up until now, probably would've rather had it fall as snow." He said the Happy Valley learners slope had returned to being fully operational on Tuesday, after heavy rain swept across the Central North Island last week. Despite the lack of snow, thousands were coming up just for sight-seeing trips on the Sky Waka gondola, he said. "Particularly these last few days, people have been showing up with gusto." He was confident the million-dollar investment in 10 new snow guns - making "whales of snow" on the upper moutain - was a worthwhile investment, and all that remained was a big dump of snow. "We're ready for it, and there's not much more we can do ... except look forward to it." On the south side of the moutain, Tūroa chief executive Jono Dean said they were tracking well, but still a "good storm or two away" from being able to fully open up. "You'd want to ensure every season starts with 2-3 metres of snow on the ground, and life would be great, but that's not the case every year, and that's something we have to adapt to - and have." He said plenty of people had been enjoying the manufactured snow on the learners slopes, but beyond those, the mountain was "still pretty barren". Like Donoghue, Dean said the season was long at Ruapehu - with the "best spring skiing in the world" to come. Meanwhile the Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton said the area was humming with tourists, with the town of Ohakune "chockablock". "I can only go on what I hear, which is that there are a record number of people coming into the area." Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver MetService meterologist Oscar Shiviti said the average temperature for last month was lower than June 2024, and more days had forecast snow. However, he said rain in temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius did not necessarily result in snow. "Snow can still fall at slightly warmer temperatures, and rain can still occur at slightly colder ones - it all depends on the vertical temperature profile of the atmosphere." He said the temperature between the cloud and the ground determined whether rain would turn to snow. "If the freezing level is low enough and deep enough, falling precipitation has more time to pass through cold air, allowing raindrops to freeze into snowflakes before reaching the ground. "In this case, what starts as rain or snow aloft can reach the surface as snow." In contrast, Shiviti said a shallow freezing level would see the snow melt into rain on its way down. "Sometimes, this creates sleet or freezing rain instead of snow, depending on the exact temperature profile." He said in general, snow was more likely when the air temperature at the surface was 2 degrees C or lower, and if it were raining heavily for a long period of time, which could cool the air further. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
20-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Mount Ruapehu ski season officially opens this long weekend
Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu, 2023. Photo: Supplied/ Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Thousands of skiers, snowboarders and sightseers will head up Mount Ruapehu this long weekend, with both skifields now officially open. This will be Whakapapa's first season under new operator Whakapapa Holdings , and chief executive Travis Donoghue said 10,000 people were expected to take advantage of good weather and early snow. "For us, June is a bonus... particularly with Matariki weekend. Folks tend to start thinking of a winter way, so really start to come out in large numbers from today onwards." Meanwhile, Tūroa Ski Area was expecting more than 2000 visitors over the long weekend. Tūroa is also now being run by a new company, Pure Tūroa , after Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which oversaw both skifields, went into insolvency in 2022. Both Whakapapapa Holdings and Pure Tūroa have been granted 10-year Department of Conservation (DOC) concession to run their respective skifields. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Nga Tohu Toi Awards
te ao Maori arts 10:07 am today Matariki is already off to a celebatory start there with the Nga Tohu Toi Awards held last night. The awards honour the exceptional contributions of Maori artists who whakapapa to Tauranga Moana.
RNZ News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Iwi files court action against minister and DOC over Ruapehu ski fields
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A central North Island iwi has filed court action against Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka and the Department of Conservation (DOC) over concession made to the commercial operators of Tūroa and Whakapapa ski fields on Ruapehu. The iwi, Te Patutokotoko, alleges the Crown failed their legal obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi by failing to engage with them and actively protect their interests in their ancestral maunga by continuing to deal with private owners over them. Lead claimant Te Kurataiaha Te Wanikau Tūroa told RNZ the the iwi has been looking for a solution to the issue for years, but was "shrugged off no matter what plan we put forward". Tūroa said the iwi had spoken directly to the minister about their concerns. "We actually put in an interest for Whakapapa 18 months back, we got right to the end of it... the Crown just shut us off at the 12th hour. "It was a let down. But we didn't cry. We just carried on. That's what we're doing," Tūroa said. Earlier this year, Whakapapa Holdings Limited and Pure Tūroa were granted 10-year concession by DOC to operate the north and south sides of the maunga respectively. The previous owner went into receivership in 2022 and the successful bid by the private companies came as a relief to Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton who said the ski fields were vital to the district's economy. Te Kurataiaha Te Wanikau Tūroa said he did not want the companies to be kicked off the mountain, but wanted the iwi to have more say on how the maunga was operated. "It's an activity that our people, and New Zealanders, and foreigners come to do. It just needs to be run better. "We still have no coexistence with iwi our people in this, and that's where the breakdown is," Tūroa said. In a statement, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said it would not be appropriate to comment as the matter was before the courts.
