Adventure New Zealand

WORDS AND PICS Huw Kingston

Giving popular Queenstown the flick in favour of skiing an active NZ

volcano makes for an awesome family adventure.

Taupo and Tongariro

TREATS

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It seems silly now, looking at this photograph, two hands weren't on the rungs.

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Adventure New Zealand

Is there nothing that New Zealand can’t make into a theme park? Look, I get the draw of Hobbiton for people fascinated by Middle Earth and all that – but a park based around prawns? But there we were, on the last activity of our last day in the Taupo region enjoying the Huka Prawn Park. We fished for prawns (does one 'fish' for them?), we worked up a sweat in the rain trying to shoot

water from a pedal-powered fountain and had as much fun as a fresh prawn dancing under a new moon.

I’d taken the family over in two-by-two formation – six of us from three generations – for a week loosely based around skiing the volcano that is Mt Ruapehu, the highest peak on New Zealand’s North Island. Tongariro National Park’s Mt Ruapehu, and its two resorts Whakapapa and Turoa, have rarely registered on the snow radar for most Australians. Occasionally you’ll hear a mumble about ‘snow ... volcano ... lava rocks’ but then we tend to go back to extolling the delights of the resorts around Queenstown and Wanaka (or for real aficionados, the mad fun to be had on the club fields of the South Island).

With my grandkids Anna and Anders stood next to me at the top of a Whakapapa T-Bar, we stared in awe across the long white cloud below our feet. Above and beyond the Pinnacles, the impressive rocky ridge that forms the eastern boundary of the resort, rose the perfect volcanic cone of Mt Ngauruhoe floating on a cloud sea. We whooped at the view and then some more on the long ski down, all very much appreciating the allure of skiing on the North Island. For those Middle Earth types, Mt Ngauruhoe is the Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings.

"Above and beyond the Pinnacles, the impressive rocky ridge that forms the eastern boundary of the resort, rose the perfect volcanic cone of Mt

Ngauruhoe floating on a cloud sea"

The family takes time out from whooping their way down a Whakapapa run for a Kodak moment.

Family-friendly ski lift signage is helpful.

Kate takes a walk with the imposing Mt Ngauruhoe in the background.

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MAPLake Taupo

Adrift Tours

Orakei Korako

Huka Prawn parkRapids Jet

Mt Ruapehu

Taupo Kayaking Adventures

Taupo Debretts

Napier

Hastings

Palmerston North

HamiltonTauranga

VOLCANO'S SECRET WILL SOON BE REVEALEDWith Whakapapa and Turoa in the midst of a huge investment in new lifts, facilities and snowmaking, we’re going to hear a lot more about them on this side of the Tasman. About the fact that they have the highest elevation and longest runs in NZ. About the fact Whakapapa’s new Snow Factory can make snow in temperatures up to 25 degrees. But perhaps not about the fact you can sit on the toilet high in a mountain cafe and read the posters about what to do in the case of a Lahar. This, my granddaughter informed me, was a volcanic debris flow, not a spicy Southeast Asian dish.

It was actually at this point I felt fully justified in taking Anna out of school for a week. Her main project that term was on volcanoes and she’d selected Ruapehu even before she knew we were heading there. Nothing beats field research.

As with most ski areas in NZ, on-mountain accommodation is a rarity. The nearest places to stay for Whakapapa are at Whakapapa Village, 6km below the resort or National Park Village, about 25 minutes away. And I thought Australia was the master of obvious naming: ‘These mountains with snow on them; what do you reckon we call them ... The Snowy Mountains?’ But the Kiwis can play the same game, it seems.

We split our week with a few nights at Turangi, 40 minutes from Whakapapa and the nearest town of any size, and Taupo, a further 40 minutes from the resort. Turoa is accessed from the cute-as-a-button town of Ohakune, 20 minutes below, which has plenty of accommodation.

Adventure New Zealand

"Whakapapa is all bowls, valleys and rocky volcanic ridges stretching some distance across the mountain,

whilst Turoa has wider runs on a face of Ruapehu that drops down from

the true summit"

The perfect volcanic cone of Mt Ngauruhoe.

Anna has either taken a tumble, or is simply having a rest.

Whakapapa has plenty of runs to

choose from.

Schnabel family go the jump with Mt Ngauruhoe behind, Whakapapa Village.

Skiing an active volcano was a thrill for all at Whakapapa.

Weather's bad? Grab a lift inside.

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A SKI SLOPE FOR ALL THE FAMILYDespite being on the same mountain – Whakapapa on the north side, Turoa on the south west corner – the skiing is quite different. Whilst both are high above the treeline, Whakapapa is all bowls, valleys and rocky volcanic ridges stretching some distance across the mountain, whilst Turoa has wider runs on a face of Ruapehu that drops down from the true summit, 2797m Tahurangi, the high point of the North Island. Certainly our mixed ability family group were able to enjoy skiing together on the open faces at Turoa whilst some of us also enjoyed exploring the more complex topography at Whakapapa. At one point the term sticking together took on a new meaning. Skiing too fast, my grandson caught an edge and tumbled down a slope. Mum rattled into him in an attempt to arrest his slide. They tangled together and slid on together. With grandfather heading in the for the rescue, he joined the rolling party and ultimately dad, hero of the moment, brought us all to a stop, legs and skis everywhere, laughs and tears in tandem.

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Getting ThereNumerous airlines will fly you to Auckland. Hiring a car is the best way to give you the freedom to get around and up to the resorts. It is about three hours from Auckland Airport to Taupo and a further 1.5 hours to Whakapapa ski resort. An alternative would be to fly to Wellington which is about 3.5 hours drive to Okahune and a further half hour to Turoa ski resort.

SkiingCheck out the official site for everything to do with Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas: ski conditions, weather, ski passes, hire and lessons and more.www.mtruapehu.com

Accommodation and general information North Island Ski Holiday's website will help you plan your ski holiday. Destination Great Lake Taupo www.greatlaketaupo.com is a great resource for everything from accommodation to activities.www.northislandskiholiday.com

KayakingTaupo Kayaking Adventures runs kayaking tours on Lake Taupo as well as MTB hire and rides on the Great Lake Trail. www.tka.co.nz

Tongariro River Rafting – various grades of whitewater rafting throughout the year on the upper Tongariro River. www.trr.co.nz

Rapids Jet Hang on – no paddling required through the Tongariro River rapids. www.rapidsjet.com

Adrift Tours Walking tours including the classic Tongariro Crossing. www.adriftnz.co.nz

Orakei KorakoThis thermal park gives a great introduction to the thermal wonderland of the Taupo region. www.orakeikorako.co.nz

Taupo DebrettsGeothermal hot pool resort offering soaks of different temperatures and 'cool' waterslides for the kids. www.taupodebretts.co.nz

Huka Prawn Park Prawn-flavoured fun for all the family.www.hukaprawnpark.co.nz

TWO RESORTS, ONE PASS, VARYING WEATHERChatting to the locals including Couchy, Turoa’s resident weather forecaster with 40 years' experience who also doubled as owner of Fire, the resort’s Search and Rescue dog, it was apparent that the weather could be very different at the same time at the two resorts. "Ensure you compare both resort forecasts," said Couchy as Anna and Anders patted the lava black coloured Fire. One important similarity – the same ski pass works for both resorts.

For beginner skiers Happy Valley at Whakapapa is definitely the place to be. This sheltered, easy angled, wide valley right at the base of the resort, is a newbie skier’s paradise. It has received much new investment to include a series of four covered carpet lifts and a double chairlift. It also has the aforementioned Snow Factory as well as its own elevator to take you up and down to the main resort base.

SNOW-FREE ADVENTURES ABOUNDIt certainly wasn’t our plan to ski every day as, apart from the pleasures of the prawn, there were other family adventures to be ticked off. On Lake Taupo itself we skimmed stones across the mirror-calm waters of what is New Zealand’s largest and deepest body of water. And, whilst in most similar latitudes only the brave would swim in mid-winter, this geothermal wonderland ensures there are plenty of places in or near Taupo to get into hot water. Ask the locals where the best places are on the shores of the lake or surrounding creeks. A number of operations have naturally tapped into the hot springs to offer spas and everything that goes with them. At Taupo Debretts, as adults soaked sore ski muscles in a hot pool, kids we thought we had tired out on the slope came back to life when they saw waterslides dropping into the warmth.

Back on the lake, despite some cold rain showers, we all took off in double sea kayaks on a 10km return paddle to the Maori rock carvings with Taupo Kayaking Adventures. It’s a very doable paddle from Acacia Bay near Taupo and is well worth it to view cliff carvings that, whilst only 40 years or so old, depict Maori stories that go back 800 years or more. The sun timed its appearance perfectly as we paddled up to the cliff in perfect late afternoon light.

Adventure New Zealand

PLAN YOUR NZ TRIP

The Pinnacles with Mount Ngauruhoe floating behind, at Whakapapa. Looking down Happy

Valley at Whakapapa.

This picture and below: Riding the family-friendly W2K trail, Lake Taupo.

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TAUPO, WE ARE FALLING FOR YOUNear Taupo, the power of Huka Falls never fails to impress and never more so than if you’re lucky enough to see a kayaker disappear over the edge into the maelstrom. On this trip we didn’t get to paddle rapids (although Garth from Tongariro River Rafting runs whitewater trips all year round as he has for nearly 30 years now) but I buried some guilt under grandchild pressure and found myself careering crazily through rapids on a New Zealand staple - a Kiwi invention no less - the jetboat. We spun, bumped, screamed and generally got a bit wet with Rapids Jet at up to 80km/h and one 1L per kilometre.

There is nowhere in New Zealand that has not been caught up in the love of mountain biking (and, I kid you not, that includes the actual Road to Nowhere). The Taupo region has made a substantial investment in trails with its jewel in the crown being the Great Lake Trail which winds around sections of the north western lakeshore for some 60km in total. The grade is low but very enjoyable for all levels of riders and we took off one morning to ride the classic 13km W2K section. Well, we actually rode K2W – Kinross to Whakaipo. Not super technical, but fun for sure, it was a perfect outing for keen riding families and nine-year-old Anders managed it well enough.

I’d mountain biked down a volcano, Mt Etna in Italy, but had never before skied on one before this trip to Mt Ruapehu. There was certainly a special vibe that came from linking turns down an active volcano. The whole geothermal nature of the region added to that atmosphere and, of course, it meant a natural hot spa was never too far away to soothe ski-weary limbs.

Add to this the myriad of adventures available year-round and there’s much to be gained from a winter holiday with friends and certainly with family up on the ski slopes of Mt Ruapehu and down around the shoreline of Lake Taupo.

Now, where did I put that prawn rod?

Adventure New Zealand

Rapid Jet does the heart-starting Waikato River rapids tours in Taupo.

Coming the raw prawn at the Huka Prawn Park.

Anna and Kate at the Maori Rock Carvings, Lake Taupo.

Skimming stones at the serene Lake Taupo,

Hot beaches at Lake Taupo make mid-winter

swimming possible.

The family kayaking from Acacia Bay near Taupo to see Maori carvings.

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