Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Lockdown crushes best weeks of Ruapehu ski season

Lockdown has made for a rocky start to the ski season on Mt Ruapehu. Photo / Bevan Conley

The August 18 lockdown hit just as Mt Ruapehu got a fresh blanket of snow and Ohakune businesses were excited about the ski season.

Kings Hotel owner and operator Stu Robinson had an international drum and bass act set to play that weekend and the place was fully booked.

But instead of a town heaving with visitors, Ohakune was empty and silent on August 21 and 22.

"I was set for a record weekend," Robinson said.

"The mountain was full of snow, but not a soul could get up there. We had eight days straight bluebird skies. It was pretty heartbreaking."

He's used to the ski season being subject to weather and snowfall.

"We deal with mother nature on a yearly basis, but having to deal with a pandemic is something else. It's heartbreaking because there's nothing you can do about it."

Stu Robinson owns Kings Hotel and is the chairman of the Ohakune Events Charitable Trust. Photo / Bevan Conley

Ohakune had planned a spring event, the Ohakune Blues & Roots Festival, for October 2. It was to be run by Audiology Touring, the organiser of the Ohakune Mardi Gras.

However, the festival has been postponed until next year, due to uncertainties about Covid-19 alert levels.

The Ruapehu district is now in alert level 3, with everyone staying home. Businesses can open for only contactless delivery, and people have been urged to shop locally.

"There's a number of really good venues around," Robinson said.

"Those that open will be sharing a relatively small pie, but something is better than nothing."

August and September are the best months of skiing on Ruapehu. Two-thirds of Ohakune's visitor business happens in those months, and Robinson is still hopeful about the season.

Skiing may continue until Labour Weekend, Covid-19 restrictions may ease further, and this time last year it had surprisingly high numbers of domestic visitors.

Jono Dean is the chief executive of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts. Photo / Supplied

The 600 staff working for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) on Mt Ruapehu "stopped dead" when the lockdown hit, chief executive Jono Dean said.

He had to sign up those who were willing for the Government's wage subsidy to keep the seven-days-a-week business going.

"This particular period of the year is really our peak season," Dean said.

"There's nowhere better in New Zealand to be skiing."

Auckland is a major source of visitors to Ruapehu, and a lot depends on its alert level. Skiing is permitted in level 2, but numbers on the mountain must be down 30-40 per cent to allow for social distancing.

The mountain can host 5500 on a good day. Under level 2 it's 2500 to 3000 at most, Dean said.

He's getting indications people are pretty keen to come.

The good snow was still there, Visit Ruapehu general manager Jo Kennedy said, and things had been looking really good until the lockdown hit.

"The whole mountain was open, on both sides, Tukino too. Everyone was expecting massive weekend bookings."

Since then everyone has been "basically shut".

"No one is complaining about it. It's just a little bit sad really," she said.

Like the operators, she's hoping Auckland will be in level 2 for the October 2-17 school holiday, and that skiing will continue until Labour Weekend.