During the Matariki weekend this year, we have decided to visit the Whakapapa Ski Area in Mt Ruapehu. My elder daughter wanted to see snowfall and we also wanted to enjoy the snow. So, we booked a nice holiday home in Raetihi which is just around 50 minutes drive from the Whakapapa Ski field. We had used Bookabach which is a popular website in New Zealand and Australia to book accommodation in different holiday destinations. (if you want to book yours for your New Zealand holiday, you can have a look here Bookabach).

If you are visiting Whakapapa for the first time, then you should check all the information below and this is a must. Otherwise, you might not be able to go up to the Ski field cause the road is weather dependent and not always open during winter. 

Road to go to Whakapapa Ski field - The bruce road gives you access to the Whakapapa Ski field and also goes in front of the iconic Hotel the Chateau Tongariro Hotel. Whakapapa Ski field is where the Sky Waka Gongola and the famous Knoll Ridge Chalet restaurant area (situated at 2020m above sea level and give you the highest dining experience in New Zealand!)

Road to go to Turoa Skifield - The Ohakune road will lead you to Turoa Skifield. 

Both the roads above are controlled by the Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) during the winter season and this is their decision on whether to keep the roads:

Closed - basically to all traffic. Normally happens during heavy snowfalls. 

Restricted - means if you can drive 4WD vehicles or 2WD vehicles with chain or both 4WD and 2WD vehicles with chain. 

If it snows, the roads become dangerous so you just need to have chains with your 4WD or 2WD vehicles. Check the road conditions if the road is closed or restricted with snow chains or only for 4WD or Open - do not plan your journey on the day before checking the road status. 👽

Well, I am not trying to sell any product here but if you are planning to go to Whakapapa, please buy your snow chains before your journey. You might end up renting snow chains while going up to the ski field and it will cost you almost the price of a new pair of snow chains. There are a lot of places like Repco or SuperCheap Autos where you can get nice snow chains for your journey. Or you can try some used snow chains in Trademe or in the Facebook marketplace. I got mine from the Facebook marketplace. You do not need a new pair right, just an old one will work fine. 💪

When we visited Whakapapa in 2022 we did not have to book any parking in advance. The parking is first-come-first-served basis. The place becomes quite busy on Saturday cause a lot of people start from Auckland or other parts of the North Island on Friday and they come to visit on Saturday. But Sunday is not that busy and weekdays are reasonable. So this will not be very difficult for you to get a parking place if you plan on a Sunday or weekdays. But I believe you will still be able to find parking on a Sunday but you might need to walk uphill a bit!✌

If for some reason, you are not driving or the road is restricted and you do not have a pair of snow chains, you still have options available. You can take Bus/Shuttle to go to Whakapapa ski field. You can find bus and shuttle information here Whakapapa Shuttles. Thanks to the website and they have all information covered. 

We did not ski on our journey but someone was checking for Ski gear rentals and all were sold out. So, I recommend booking yours before you go there. You can get the passes online here Ski Ride Whakapapa Day Passes and Ski, Snowboard, and Snow clothing rental information here.