Ruapehu ski prices, how do they stack up?

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 686, 13 May 1997, Page 8 (Supplement)

Ruapehu ski prices, how do they stack up?

How do Ruapehu 's ski fields rate for value for money? Well, apart from not having to cross the ditch and drive a few hundred kilometres, or fly, lift tickets are generally cheaper than commercial fields down south. Both T uroa and Whakapapa are holding their adult day passes to last year's prices, $48 and $49 respectively. Turoa can shift 12,600 people uphill per hour while Whakapapa does not quote a capacity, but has almost double the number of lifts. Turoa also skites that it Has N"ew Zealand's biggest vertical drop — 720 metres.

Their adult day pass priCes are up to 1 7 per cent cheaper than the Queenstown fields. Coronet Peak, which has a lift capacity of 6900 skiers perday, costs $58 for an adu Itday pass . At the Remarkables, with a sligKtly lower capacity, it'll cost you $55. Cardrona andTrebleConepasses are $56 and $55 respectively while their capacides are over 6000 per hour on a half a dozen lifts each (although Treble Cone does boast a six-seater chairlift). You can pay a Iot less — at Ohau for example. There, an adult day costs just $39, but has just three lifts, a T-bar, a platter and a fixed-grip rope tow. If you look at beginner packages the difference is even more marked in some cases. A first timer package at Turoa costs $46 and at Whakapapa, $48. At Coronet Peak and the Remarkables, that'll cost you $66 — about 40 per cent more. Snowboarding is another matter, with the Queenstown fields charging $85 for a first timer package — $10 cheaper than Turoa' s. Cardrona, Treble Cone and Ohau all offer cheaper skiing starter package that their Ruapehu counterparts, charging $39, $40 and $40 respectively.