Tūroa ski field opening tomorrow for skiing and sledding

Tūroa's beginner ski field opens tomorrow at Mt Ruapehu.

Alpine Meadow on the lower slopes will be open for skiing and sledding from 9am, with beginner terrain park features also set up for skiers and boarders to hone their skills for later in the season.

Tūroa general manager JP Chevalier said, "The snowmaking crew have done an awesome job making snow in the Alpine Meadow with the clear, crisp nights that we've had.

"It will now be up to mother nature to top up the base and also give us enough snow to open the upper mountain."

The Parklane chairlift will be running tomorrow to the Snowflake cafe.

Meanwhile, at Whakapapa the Sky Waka gondola is in the final stages of testing with an announcement on an opening date not far away.

The Rangatira Express is expected to be open for skiing early next week.