Hitting the slopes: Tukino Skifield a jewel in the winter crown

Sunrise over the Tukino Alpine Village on Mt Ruapehu. Photo / Tukino Skifield

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Tukino Skifield is a little bright jewel in Aotearoa's winter crown and a must-visit location for any North Island or overseas snow enthusiast.

Being a club field, it has a charm of years past when hanging out in the mountains in the winter was about putting turns in the snow instead of waiting in lift lines or sipping lattes in the mountain cafe.

The skifield is located on the eastern slopes of Mt Ruapehu with an elevation base of 1700m and total vertical drop of 350m.

Being one of the two club-operated ski fields in the North Island, Tukino is a stark contrast to its much larger skifield neighbours on Mt Ruapehu.

Instead of tar-sealed access roads, fully stocked on-mountain catering services and large crowds, at Tukino you will find a rugged 4WD access track, a small tuck shop in the ticket office and hearty meals in the on-mountain club lodges.

The unadulterated expansive landscapes overlooking Mt Ngauruhoe (AKA Mt Doom) and Lake Taupō in the distance remain intact.

The skiing/snowboarding infrastructure at Tukino is comprised of two fixed rope tows and a portable one. The lower, Whangaehu, tow provides access to beginner/intermediate terrain and is a great place to practise the art of rope-tow riding using a nutcracker (specialised device used by a skier to pinch the rope while riding uphill).

The middle, Aorangi, tow provides access to more challenging fun suited for intermediate/advanced skiers/snowboarders - it features wide gullies edged by cliff bands which provide for some great natural terrain.

The top, portable, tow opens up the upper slopes of the skifield and offers, what the locals consider to be, some of the best advanced skiing in the country, as well as more leisurely cruises through the sun-drenched, snow-filled gullies.

To complement the great all-around skiing facilities, Tukino has three club lodges for people who wish to spend more than just a day up the hill. The lodges provide all the mod cons like hot shower, warm and cosy fireplace, delicious food and bottomless cups of tea.

All the lodges are located off the main carpark and are about 50 vertical metres above the bottom tow so it's literally a ski out straight onto the field operation.

For further information visit tukino.org.