Skip Queenstown and hit the slopes on New Zealand’s North Island

Spring is the ultimate crossover season for adventurers on the Central North Island of New Zealand, with skiing, biking and… carrots all on the agenda.

Glenn Cullen skis, bikes and crunches.

Rising like a battered shark’s tooth from the North Island’s Central Plateau, Mt Ruapehu is a mountain that plays by its own set of rules.

As the kea flies, it’s about 900 kilometres north of New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown, but it may as well be 900,000 kilometres away. 

Figuratively, and at times quite literally, Mt Ruapehu simmers in comparison.

Its feeder town of Ohakune, which services the Turoa side of the mountain, doesn’t pretend to be Queenstown. And nor should it.

There are no high-end boutiques or heaving nightclubs – just a smattering of well-priced restaurants, hotels and a few adventure-based stores. The disparate national park side of the mountain (which provides access to the Whakapapa resort) is quieter still.

For better or for worse, Mt Ruapehu’s weather does its own thing, with heavy snow, rain and bluebird days all part of the regular winter mix.

The day I arrive at the mountain, we get a little bit from column A and column B. The treacherous weather of the previous 36 hours has abated and the heavy rains of downtown Ohakune equate to a 15 to 20 centimetre snow top up on the mountain.

While the skies are strikingly blue and there’s barely a zephyr, conditions remain tricky and, after an initial ride up on the impressive Sky Waka Gondola, we’re limited to a range of laps and a little off-piste from the Valley T-Bar. 

It’s a fun few hours – interspersed with a little lunch and sumptuous views of The Pinnacles’ jagged ridges from Knoll Ridge Cafe – but not exactly the mountain at its peak.

I’ve been here before and experienced days that could put the South Island resorts in their place.

The best time to ski or snowboard is between mid September and mid-late October, where it is surely the finest place to ski or snowboard in the world. As spring arrives, the weather generally stabilises and if the snowpack is plentiful, riding is often possible through to November. 

While the snow can be testing, the terrain is superb: it would be no exaggeration to say it’s the single best mountain in Australasia. Whakapapa’s Happy Valley offers a custom-made experience for beginners; intermediates are well catered for across both mountains; and there’re generous bowls, steep drops and a myriad of hiking opportunities for the adventurous.

In a rarity for ski resorts, the mountain also has a practical feel-good factor because of its ownership: set up as a trust fund, it ensures money spent at the mountain largely goes back to its upkeep and new facilities, instead of a bunch of shareholders halfway across the globe.

A midweek day pass comes in at less than A$80 – one of the cheapest options for commercial resort skiing in the southern hemisphere.

With the mountain centrally located about three and a half hours from both Auckland and Wellington, it makes no apologies for trying to attract customers outside of weekends when good days draw in reams of people from the big cities.

But Mt Ruapehu being Mt Ruapehu, it pays to have a back-up plan. And in this instance, ours involves mountain biking in the lower elevations of the Central North Island from Pureora (about an hour and a half north of Ohakune) to Ongarue.

It’s an 84-kilometre, two-day thrill ride called “The Timber Trail” – officially one of the 22 Great Rides of The New Zealand Cycle Trail. In some ways, the ride tips its lid to the South Island, which made biking great again with the renowned Otago Rail Trail.

But instead of sweeping alpine vistas and benign gravel pathways, this is a Tardis-like adventure through old-growth forest with rimu trees and native totara dotting the landscape. It’s an intermediate trail that can be tackled with a dual suspension e-bike or regular mountain bike, depending on your fitness level.

Day one presents the toughest climb: a 450-metre vertical ascent before a long, largely downhill ride to Piropiro, where we recharge our bodies and bike batteries at the Timber Trail Lodge. 

Day two offers more gentle gradients but in many ways is the best part of the ride.

The history of the trail unfolds before us as we follow the old loggers’ railway still littered with remnants of sleepers, tracks and gnarled steel, as well as the ghosts of villages past. Most of the ride’s stunning suspension bridges are encountered here too, offering the chance to take in some of the trail’s best views.

The final section offers a short climb before some speedy single track, and we encounter swooping kereru birds, a couple of mottled wild goats, and even a baby feral pig who is keen to get away from us as fast as his little legs will carry him. 

It’s a scene I simply can’t picture playing out in Queenstown.

There’s nothing quite like a hot soak at the end of a big day’s skiing or bike riding, but there’s also nothing wrong with indulging yourself if you’ve just been kicking back as well. The newly minted woodfired hot tubs at Rimu Park Mountain Lodge can be hired out by the hour, are chemical free and filled fresh for each booking.

See: ohakunehottubs.co.nz

Located on the edge of the national park, the Chateau Tongariro is perhaps the country’s most celebrated hotel, maintaining its 1930s art deco heritage almost a century later. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that a high tea fits in rather dandily here. Perfect for a down day – and made even better if you can jag the table with the framed view of Mt Ngauruhoe.

See: chateau.co.nz

Regarded as one of the premier one-day walks in the world, the Tongariro Crossing can be traversed in the colder months – though a guide is recommended. Steaming vents, glacial valleys and ancient lava flows fill the 19-kilometre trek that straddles Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe.

See: tongarirocrossing.org.nz

Perched upon high, with views down the railway line and across to mighty Mt Ruapehu, Kings offers a classic slice of Kiwi pub culture. A little less expected is the Carrot Margarita: tapping into Ohakune’s obsession with all things carrot, the drink is a surprise hit, with its touches of ginger and sugar/salt rim taking the edge off our vegetable mixer to let the tequila sing.

See: kingsohakune.co.nz

Tackled straight from Ohakune or nearby Horopito, this superb ride is an easy last-minute option should your ski day hit the skids. Head straight to TCB for an e-bike or traditional mountain bike rental and they’ll quickly have you on your way. Cobbled roads, steel viaducts, native forest and sweeping district views await in this half-day (or less) adventure.

See: tcb.nz

Ohakune (for Turoa)

Explore more: Powderhorn Chateau

National Park (for Whakapapa)

Explore more: Chateau Tongariro

Piropiro

Explore more: Timber Trail Lodge