Our dynamic duo bring their current motorhome touring escapade to a close and arrive at their final destination: Mt Ruapehu

Majestic Mt Ruapehu

A quick call to friend Trish earlier in the week meant that we had a skiing buddy sorted for the weekend. The only problem was finding accommodation. No problems for Peter and I in the motorhome, but a big problem for Trish wanting a single bed during a winter peak-ski-season weekend.

After we exhausted Ohakune, the next option was Raetihi (pronouned Rye-tee-hee not Raa-ta-heeeeee as a learned friend once politely informed me).

Side street in downtown Raetihi

Poor Raetihi was once a bustling town right in the centre of all the action. It houses the oldest cinema in the southern hemisphere, and the main street has a collection of storefronts that wouldlook more appropriate in MoTaT (a musuem in Auckland). Sadly most of the stores were empty and derelict, and Raetihi on a Sunday looked like a ghost town – a miserable picture given the town’s former glory.

I remembered staying in a lodge behind the Raetihi pub about 20 years ago. It was great stuff. Basic bed and basin, hearty cooked breakfast served next to the fire in a room wreaking of 1970’s pub decor. Just right for Trish I thought.

Unfortunately the pub had closed down several years ago (“had got a bit rough” the locals said). But the motels still existed and were now part of the holiday park, and they had a spare bed for Trish.

After a spending a pleasant evening dining at Margarita’s in Ohakune, we woke the next day and headed for the Turoa skifields. Alas, Motor Nature intervened again, and 80km/h winds prevented the skifield from opening. So it was back down the mountain, around State Highway 4 to National Park and then back up the other side of the mountain to the Whakapapa Skifield. Unfortunately everyone else had the same plan, so the roads, carparks, and ski sloped were packed.

Busy, busy, busy at Whakapapa

I haven’t skied in 10 years, so was a little apprehensive about tackling the slopes, particularly in high winds and heavy traffic. And those wretched snow-boarders who used to be the minority and are now the majority! But within minutes I’d found my feet, and we all had a great afternoon skiing (Peter hired a taboggen as he doesn’t like skiing).

Skiing Ruapehu (Mt Ngaruahoe in background)

To celebrate a glorious day on the mountain, we retired to the Chateau Tongariro for a mulled wine. Fabulous.

Mt Ngaruahoe from the Chateau Tongariro