Whakapapa's Future Seems Secured As Snow Dumps On New Zealand
New Zealand ski area Whakapapa’s future seems secured as a new operator has been confirmed several years after the previous operators ran into financial problems.
New Zealand ski area Whakapapa’s future seems secured as a new operator has been confirmed several years after the previous operators ran into financial problems.
The ski area was one part of the former Mt Ruapehu ski area on New Zealand’s North Island. Together with neighbouring Tūroa Ski Area, operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) claimed it to be the country’s largest ski area.
However, the ski field’s future has been hanging in the balance since RAL ceased trading in 2022 following several poor winters and the pandemic. The two areas have opened each winter but increasingly relied on emergency government financial support to keep operating.
Whakapapa’s future has remained uncertain, despite Tūroa having been taken over by new operator, Pure Tūroa, some time ago. However, the long-awaited good news this week is that a new operator, Whakapapa Holdings Limited (WHL), has been granted a 10-year concession to run the centre.
“This is the moment the team has been working toward for two and a half years,” says WHL Director Tom Elworthy, adding, “The concession doesn’t just represent progress — it marks a new starting point. It gives us the certainty we’ve been missing, and everything flows from here. Whakapapa has a future — and it starts now.”
Although most of the barriers to WHL’s take over have been cleared there are still some final approvals needed and New Zealand media report local Māori groups are unhappy about the current situation. New Zealand media also reports that the country’s government has spent over $50m supporting the two centres over the past seven years, including through the pandemic.
But Whakapapa plans to start selling season tickets and open its snow play and learners area in its Happy Valley terrain thanks to its TechnoAlpin all-weather SnowFactory from May 30.
Whakapapa and Tūroa traditionally start their main ski seasons later than other New Zealand ski areas and then at the end of the season are often the last to close in late October or November, not just in New Zealand but the whole southern hemisphere.
New Zealand’s 2025 winter is fast approaching and it has been a snowy week for many of the country’s ski areas. Mt Hutt reported it had had a remarkable 80cm (32") of snowfall already. The main season is due to start next month but Porters Alpine resort (below) have announced there’ll be snowplay on tomorrow (Saturday 3rd May).
