MT RUAPEHU, 29 MAY 2019: Mt Ruapehu is gearing up for the opening of the 2019 ski season with Happy Valley beginner’s skifield welcoming skiers on Saturday.

It will be a progressive opening though until the first big snowfall arrives, starting with one beginner carpet lift opening offering a small beginner ski & ride trail.

RAL Chief Executive Ross Copland says that ultimately mother nature and the mountain will dictate when the skifields open fully this season, as well as the completion date for the new Sky Waka gondola, with both the upper mountain and gondola expected to open to towards the end of June.

“The mountain will ultimately decide in the end. We have the manpower, skills and expertise working on the gondola construction but we can’t control the weather or the challenges of construction along the way.

“The infrastructure for this project is an immense engineering feat, which is both challenging and delicate – it’s like building inside a cathedral, it needs to be slow and precise.”

The new state-of-the-art Sky Waka wouldn’t be possible without the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) loan. “Sky Waka will benefit the local economy hugely, injecting visitor spend for accommodation and food outlets and also offering employment opportunities,” says Ross.

“There are 300 people working on the gondola construction alone and 200 full time staff started work on the mountain last week. The Sky Waka will open up more full time work, all year round so the investment by the Government is well justified and will definitely stimulate regional growth.”

Fletcher Tabuteau NZ First Deputy leader recently visited the construction site and was impressed, describing the gondola as a ‘Superstar’ example of investment by the PGF.

“The project quite literally took my breath away. When you consider the progress to-date what I saw was incredible and the gondola will undoubtedly make an immeasurable difference to the people of the Ruapehu district, not just skiers. Not only will this project create hundreds of local jobs, it will be all year round employment for so many people.

“A thriving, sustainable and inclusive economy is at the heart of this coalition Government’s actions. We know that if New Zealand is thriving, our regions must also be thriving. The provincial growth fund represents one of the more prominent ways we are addressing this issue. The Ruapehu Gondola project is a superstar example.”

Happy Valley's Rental facility for ski, snowboard and clothing hire will also be open this weekend along with two food and beverage outlets, Happy Valley Bistro and Lorenz's Bar & Cafe (Top of Bruce Road). The Ski & Snowboard workshop at the Top of Bruce Rd will be open to fit customers who have bought Season Rentals for 2019.

Visitors are encouraged to check the mountain’s weather report for the most up to date information mtruapehu.com/whakapapa/report

The new high-speed Sky Waka features fifty Sky Waka gondola cabins with floor to ceiling glass for breathtaking views, internal ski racks, audio and lighting and individual leather seats offering business-class luxury to passengers befitting of the UNESCO Dual World Heritage status of Whakapapa Ski Area. Each cabin accommodates 10 passengers and even the tallest skiers will be able to stand upright in the cabin with more than 2m of internal clearance.
The Sky Waka will run from the Top of the Bruce base area directly to the Knoll Ridge Café. It will transport 2,400 people per hour over the 1.8km in approximately 5 minutes.
As a public benefit entity RAL invests its proceeds back into developing the mountain's facilities and the new gondola forms part of the $100m reinvestment strategy announced by the RAL board in 2015.

mtruapehu.com

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