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Mt Ruapehu - Snowy Playground
Skiing
Whakapapa Ski Field is the largest developed area in New Zealand, with 400 hectres of north-west facing skiing slopes. It has a sophisticated chairlift system (16 lifts) and 43 trails catering to all levels of skiers and snowboarders. It is broken up into three areas for Beginners, Intermediate and Expert (off piste). Whakapapa also offers summer skiing through December.
Turoa Ski Field, 500 hectres of south-west facing skiing slopes on Mt Ruapehu. Lift passes are also valid at Whakapapa.
The Volcanic Eruptions of Mt Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu is the highest mountain (at 2797 metres) and the most explosive volcano in the North Island. The mountain is made up of andesite lava erupted over hundreds of thousands of years ago. The volcano is in a very active state with many large eruptions happening in the last few thousand years.
Over the last century recent activity has been through the crater lake. Most have been small explosive eruptions. Between 1945 and 1953 there was a series of activity at the crater lake, early 1945 a dome of steaming lava appeared about 40 m in diameter. This was then followed months later by a larger dome, which spread over the floor of the crater. Water from the lake was displaced, which poured out through an ice cave and into the Whangaehu River.
By mid 1945 most of the lake had vanished and activity began to increase until August when a tremendous cloud of ash-laden steam exploded out of the crater. Ash blew as far as Wanganui (88 km away). Ash eruptions continued in September and October. By January 1946 the eruption ended and water started to fill the crater lake again. The lake increased in size until by the summer of 1952 it had returned to its pre-1945 level.
In 1953 the ice cave was blocked by ash which caused the lake's water level to continue to rise 8 metres above normal. On the evening of 24 December 1953 the ash barrier in the cave broke and the lake dropped 6 metres in 15 minutes. A tremendous volume of water rushed down the Whangaehu River, sweeping up huge quantities of boulders to form a lahar, and this swept down on to the plains. 15 minutes later the lahar hit the railway bridge at Tangiwai destroying one of the piers moments before the Welllington-Auckland express train arrived. The train and its five carriages plunged into the torrent, killing 151 people.
Since this period explosive volcanic eruptions have been common. There have been many more eruptions between 1966 and 1971, then again in 1975, 1978, 1979, 1995 and 1996.
The last eruption in June 1996 sent ash into the sky 12 kms high, drifting as far north as Kerikeri. Glowing lava bombs made spectacular night time viewing . During this initial period flight paths in the North, as far as Whangarei were declared a danger zone and were not allowed to fly at night. Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields were largely affected and were out of action for almost the entire ski season.
All of this explosive history however does not stop thousands of people visiting Mt Ruapehu each year.
Maori Legend (Maori Glossary)
According to Maori legend, it was the great Tohunga and navigator Ngatoroirangi of the Te Arawa canoe who created the volcanic activity in the North Island. It is said that he left his home in Maketu to travel south to Taupo. While he was there, Ngatoroirangi saw the beautiful Mount Tongariro and decided to climb it.
Once up the mountain Ngatoroirangi was near death with cold, Ngatoroirangi prayed to his gods and asked them to send fire to warm him. Ngatoroirangi's gods heard him and sent fire underground from Hawaiiki. The fire rose to the surface several times leaving a trail behind at White Island, Rotorua, Tarawera, Orakei Korako and Taupo before finally bursting forth at Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The fires warmed Ngatoroirangi and he was saved.
