Whakapapa & Turoa Ski Areas to Open Tomorrow

Immediate release
15 June 2006

Mt Ruapehu's Whakapapa & Turoa Ski Areas to Open Tomorrow

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, operators of Turoa and Whakapapa, announced today that both Ski Areas will open as planned tomorrow, Friday 16 June.

The areas to open on Friday are the Happy Valley beginner area at Whakapapa and the Alpine Meadow beginner area at Turoa.

Whakapapa Ski Area has had over 30 centimetres of new snow over the past two days. The Turoa Ski Area has seen over 45 centimetres of new snow fallen over the past 48 hours.

Snowmaking conditions at both ski areas have been very good with 48 guns in operation at Whakapapa and 12 at Turoa.

Mt Ruapehu marketing manager, Mike Smith, says consistent snowfalls over the last few weeks mean that Mt Ruapehu has good cover for Opening Day.

"The 2006 ski season is shaping up to be a great one," says Mr Smith. "We have had significant snowfalls for a number of weeks and the new snow we have experienced this week is particularly good news for skiers and snowboarders.

"Snow cover will continue to improve even further with more snow forecasted for the coming days."

Located in the central North Island of New Zealand, Mt Ruapehu operates Whakapapa and Turoa Ski Areas, the two largest in the country (550ha/1360 acres and 500ha/1236 acres respectively). Turoa also has Australasia's biggest vertical drop of 722m. Conveniently located between Auckland and Wellington, it is an easy 4-5 hour drive on sealed roads. Mt Ruapehu recently announced $30 million on on-mountain investments including three new high speed chairs. This is the biggest investment in the NZ ski industry. For more information visit www.mtruapehu.com.

ENDS

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