Mount Ruapehu, within Tongariro National Park, contains the only ski resorts on the North Island of New Zealand.

Understand

At 2,797 m, Mt Ruapehu is the tallest mountain on the North Island. It has three separate ski resorts. 1 Whakapapa , on the north side, is the larger of the two and closer to Auckland, while 2 Tūroa on the southwest side is closer to Wellington. Both are operated by the same company. There is also a third independent operation, 3 Tukino , to the east, but it is much smaller.

Climate

The ski season at all Ruapehu resorts generally runs from early July until mid-October. Whakapapa's Happy Valley area for beginners has artificial snow and typically opens a little earlier.

Get in

By car

Whakapapa is 5 hours from Auckland and 1.5 hours from Taupō via State Hwy 4, while Turoa is 4 hours from Wellington along the same road.

Weather conditions permitting, you can drive directly to the resorts, or park at National Park Village and take shuttle buses to the resort.

By train

The KiwiRail Northern Explorer between Auckland and Wellington stops at National Park Village, from where there are shuttles to the slopes.

Get around

Travel between the two resorts requires a lengthy detour and takes at least an hour.

Sleep

Accommodation directly on the slopes is limited and largely limited to private ski lodges. Most visitors stay at Whakapapa Village, 10 min from the Whakapapa slopes, or at Ohakune 20 min away from Turoa.