Cyclones and summer snow hamper park programme

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 669, 14 January 1997, Page 1

Cyclones and summer snow hamper park programme

Two cyclones with a snow storm in between did nothing to help Tongariro National Park's summer programme for the holiday season. Ohakune field centre conservation officer Nigel Hollands said several trips had to be cancelled due to poor weather. However, he said when the weather was suitable they had some great walks and good numbers, although still down on previous years. He said both Crater Lake climbs had to be cancelled, one due to Cyclone Fergus and one due to the 5 January snow storm. The Sigley Falls trip had to be cancelled due to the high winds of Cyclone Drena, with dangerous conditions in the forest. Although the programme was halved from previous years, he said there were some good trips on offer, with most people who took part happy with the experience. A similar story comes from Whakapapa field centre, with many trips full but also many cancelled diie to the cyclones and snow, including the Tongariro Crossing and some of the higher altitude trips. Some fully booked were the Ngauruhoe Summit, the Alpine Flowers and the Makatote Gorge trips. The Whakapapa programme was also shortened, with just 1 6 trips, down from 3 1 last year. 1 0OO crossing Meanwhile aside from the guided walks, around 1000 a day have hiked the eighthour Tongariro Crossing track, between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe mountains from Mangatepopo and Ketetahi. The Department of Conservation' s Whakapapa visitor centre has had 1800 inquiries daily.

Huts and camping grounds around the national park have usually been full to overflowing, and close to 200 people have been making daily walks from the top of the Whakapapa chairlifts to view the Ruapehu Crater. DoC is still issuing warnings to those climbing Ruapehu that a 500m danger zone is in force around the Crater Lake, and sightseers should not go beyond the Dome Hut. More snow fell on Ruapehu on the night of 5 January, closing the road to the Top O' The Bruce to all traffic except those with chains, and the Ohakune Mountain Road at the 9km barrier. DoC field centre manager at Whakapapa Mark Davies said the mountain had been subjected to "an Antarctic blast". "But although there has been a lot of people in the park, they have all been doing the right thing," he said. "The phones have been running red hot with people seeking advice." 600 lifted Ruapehu Alpine Lifts has been busy every day, lifting up to 600 visitors up to the Knoll Ridge Cafeteria on the ski field. Their guided crater walks have been full when the weather has allowed them to operate. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts continues their sightseeing trips through to the end of April. Spokesman Scottie Barrie said following the holiday period they generally get overseas tourists taking the trip mid-week, with Kiwis on the weekends. He said the crater was actively steaming yesterday, probably due to the below-zero temperatures. He said the mountain was Turn to Page 2

Summer visits From Page 1 down to Stage One volvanic activity — its base level. People coming back from the trip were "quite taken with it", he said, most commenting that the volcano was an awesome sight and a fabulous walk. Turoa's summer season of running the Movenpick Chairlift for sightseers went reasonably well with good numbers on good days, although cyclones and snow kept visitor numbers down at other times, said operations manager Mike Bayens. "It was not bad for our first year of operation," he said. Mr Bayens said management was yet to decide if the summer rides would be repeated. He said it was tried this year mainly as a publicity effort for the town and to show that "Turoa is still alive and can still operate" after the eruptions.