Welcome to the archive images of Tamaki Makaurau
 
 
Week 38
16 July 2006
 
 
Turoa Ski Field
Part 2
 
 
Mount Ruapehu has three ski areas namely Whakapapa, Turoa and Tukino.  These skifields lie in the Tongariro National Park.  This was the first national park to be established in New Zealand and the fourth in the world.  In 1887, Te Heuheu Tukino IV (Horonuku), the chief of the local Ngati Tuwharetoa people, gifted this toanga (treasure) with its sacred peaks - Mt Ruapheu, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro - to the people of New Zealand.  Turoa ski field lies on the southern side of Mt Ruapehu and has an annual snowfall of 16 feet.  Turoa offers the longest lift accessed runs in the country if snow conditions permit and the biggest vertical drop.  Turoa's skiable area is 2648 acres and the ski area offers 24 trails to ski on. 
 
A tip when going to the ski field  - Take sunblock with!  In the afternoon on a fine day such as this was, the temperature can reach 5 degrees which feels more like 25 degrees.  My face took the brunt of sun's reflection on the snow.
 
 
Skiing and snowboarding gear for africa
 
 
 
 
One of 6 snow machines
 
 
 
 
Resting and basking in the sun.  In the afternoon on a fine day such as this,
the temperature can reach 5 degrees which feels like 25 degrees
 
 
 
 
Coming down the mountain the dare devil way
 
 
 
 
Watch this!
 
 
 
 
Airborne
 
 
 
 
Coming down the traditional way
 
 
 
 
Or coming down a hill .... now this is more my style!
 
 
 
 
A candid shot of the photographer of this website :)
taken by another photographer and best friend
 
 
 
 
On our way down, we stopped to follow a kneedeep footpath in the snow to a
waterfall.  Every grass blade along this path was covered in ice
 
 
 
 
Branches were iced and when shaken, sounded like bells softly ringing 
 
 
 
 
Even an ordinary fence was transformed into an iced beauty
 
 
 
 
A frozen Mangawhero Falls. 
In a scene in "The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers"
Gollum can be seen sitting just before the falls
 
 
 
 
I cannot end this page without a last look at Mt Ruapehu. 
This is the view from the waterfall
 
 

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