Turoa (or Tūroa) is a
skifield on the south western side of
Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu (; English ) is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and North Island North Island Volcanic Plateau, volcanic plateau in New Zealand. It is northeast of Ohakune and southwest of the southern s ...
, the highest mountain in the
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, in
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park (; ), located in the central North Island, is the oldest national park in New Zealand and the sixth national park established in the world.Department of Conservation"Tongariro National Park: Features", retrieved 21 April ...
. The area has been used for skiing since before the completion of the Mountain Road; however, the first lifts opened in 1978. Turoa was owned by
Ruapehu Alpine Lifts
Whakapapa skifield is a commercial skifield on the northern side of Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. It is one of three skifields on the mountain, the others being Turoa, which is on Ruapehu's south-western slopes and Tuki ...
from 2000, a company that also owned the nearby
Whakapapa skifield
Whakapapa skifield is a commercial skifield on the northern side of Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand. It is one of three skifields on the mountain, the others being Turoa, which is on Ruapehu's south-western slopes and Tu ...
, also on Mt. Ruapehu. After liquidation of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts in 2023, the field was purchased by Pure Turoa. The field has been operated by Pure Turoa since April 2024.
Features
There are two beginner areas, and many intermediate and advanced trails. The upper field is a mix of natural pipes, steep drops, fast plains, and easier slopes, along with several terrain parks. The lower field contains the field's single narrow beginner trail, Clarry's Track, and a few other intermediate trails. They also serve as access to the base area from the upper mountain, and are often crowded.
The field is and has about a vertical drop from the top chair to the skifield base.
On a good day, it is possible to hike to the top of the mountain with skis or snowboard in hand, view the
Crater Lake
Crater Lake ( Klamath: ) is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the Western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is a tourist attraction for its deep blue color and water clarity. T ...
, and then ski back down to the field, or to Whakapapa. Also on a clear day
Mount Taranaki
Mount Taranaki (), officially Taranaki Maunga and also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island.
At , it is the second highest mountain in the North Island, afte ...
can be seen.
Access
The skifield is reached via the Mountain Road from the town of
Ohakune
Ohakune is a small town at the southern end of Tongariro National Park, close to the southwestern slopes of the active volcano Mount Ruapehu, in the North Island of New Zealand.
A rural service town known as New Zealand's Carrot Capital, Ohaku ...
. The Mountain Road was built by locals from Ohakune, mostly during weekends after they formed the Mountain Road Association in 1952.
[ ]logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucks[culvert
A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe (fluid conveyance), pipe, reinforced concrete or other materia ...]
destined for another roading project. The 17 kilometre road was opened in 1963, reached Turoa by 1967 and became a legal road in 1973.[ It winds up through spectacular native forest before breaking out above the tree line and finishes at a complex of carparks below the bottom chairlift.][
]
History
In 1995, skiers were evacuated from the skifield when a small volcanic eruption occurred at the crater lake, ejecting rocks, ash and steam.
In 2007, a high speed six-seater chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers. They are the primary on-hill tran ...
, the High Noon Express was installed, replacing an existing T-bar T-bar may refer to:
* T with bar (Ŧ, ŧ)
* T-bar lift
A surface lift is a type of cable transport for mountain sports in which skiers, snowboarders, or mountain bikers remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once pre ...
to the top of the skifield. The lift had several faults after being installed, such as cable derailments. In winter of 2010, two pylons on the lift collapsed, and the lift was redesigned with 15 new shorter pylons instead of 10 higher pylons in the original design and was open 2011 season. The redesign required relocating an older fixed grip quad chair which previously passed under the lift.[
]
Ruapehu Alpine Lifts
In 2022 following a poor snow season attributed largely to climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, the parent company of both Whakapapa and Turoa skifields, entered voluntary administration
As a legal concept, administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions, similar to bankruptcy in the United States. It functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent entities and allows them to carry on ...
in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
.COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Efforts to secure additional funds from investors or the New Zealand government initially failed.
Pure Turoa
After the liquidation of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts in 2023, the ski area was purchased by Pure Turoa in March 2024. A ten year Department of Conservation concession was obtained by May 2024,Iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English.
...
. An outstanding issue is if managed retreat in relation to skifield activities is appropriate.
Lifts
There are three proposed ski lifts at Turoa, which are due to be complete before 2030. A new Quad express set to be positioned west of the high noon express, to give better access to where the old Jumbo T-Bar used to operate near. The existing Giant fixed grip chairlift is set to be replaced by a new detachable quad express. A gondola is planned to be constructed on Turoa, replacing both the Parklane and Movenpick chairs, starting at the base area and terminating at the location of the top station of the Movenpick chair with a mid station allowing for access to the Wintergarden beginners area.[
]
Notes
References
External links
Mt Ruapehu - Tūroa
{{Ski areas and resorts in New Zealand
Ski areas and resorts in New Zealand
Sports venues in Manawatū-Whanganui
Tongariro National Park