Latest news with #WhakapapaHoldings
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
30-04-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Whakapapa ski field prepares for season ahead
Photo: Unsplash / Matthew Buchanan Whakapapa ski field has joined Turoa in moving out of the hands of the receivers with a 10-year concession being granted by the Department of Conservation to the operator Whakapapa Holdings. Both ski areas on Mount Ruapehu had faced an uncertain future when the operator, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts went into voluntary administration in 2022. The decision is being welcomed in the region, that has been hit hard economically with the close of two local wood and pulp mills. The government has provided nearly $50 million to keep the field functioning to support jobs and businesses. DOC has acknowledged how important the area is to all New Zealanders, especially the iwi and hapū who whakapapa to the maunga and said it will monitor the ski field to ensure it was running smoothly. Kathryn speaks to Whakapapa Holdings Shareholder Director and CEO Dave Mazey who was the former head of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts.
