Whakapapa

Located on the northern slopes of Mt Ruapehu, a small ski field with incredible views.

I’d avoid COMPLETELY on the weekends....as it’s far too small to cope with the number of people that flock there. But if you get there early on a weekday, you can easily drive up and park on site. Worth getting breakfast once you arrive and wait for the lifts to open! Alternatively you can pre-book a shuttle from Taupo or Tongariro or drive to Tussock and pick up a shuttle from there.

There’s ski rental on site and a really decent beginner area (Happy Valley).

To avoid queues it’s worth pre-booking your ski passes!

There are a few decent places to eat and drink- but avoid between the hours of 12-2pm as again they’re far too slammed to cope with the amount of people!

Its worth noting that there’s a different rating system for slopes here vs Europe. A green here is much more like a blue and a blue is a red.

Also be aware that pistes are not well marked!

There is a small variety of different slopes, but often there isn’t access to all of them due to staffing issues!

The sky waka, they’re gondola is pretty cool. You can ride it even if you’re aren’t going to ski!