Keeping snow-haters happy

By COLIN MOORE

Some people hate snow. It's hard to believe but the softies say it is cold and wet and they can't imagine why anyone would consider it fun to spend time sliding down a mountain.

You can't convince such people of their folly. Take my word for it. Many a marriage has been scratched on the rocks of a ski slope reluctantly visited.

So if you believe that the family that holidays together is more likely to stay together you will need to work out a compromise if one of your number is a confirmed snow-hater.

And here is the good news about snow and alpine resorts. Most are found in places which are good to visit for many other reasons.

They are places where you can enjoy shopping, dining, apres-ski, other outdoor activities or just plain sitting around in an attractive scenic environment.

And let's be honest. Mountain weather can be fickle. It's not often that Hughie lets you have a winter holiday where every day is good for skiing or boarding.

Here are some suggestions of things to do below the snowline of Mt Ruapehu.

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Go whitewater rafting on the Tongariro River. If you think snow is cold then you haven't been winter rafting. The good news is that you will be screaming so loud and having so much fun that you will hardly notice your fingers turning blue. And a soak in the hot pools at Tokaanu never felt so good afterwards.

Contact:

Tongariro River Rafting, ph 0800 101024

Rock'n'river rafting, ph (07) 386 0352

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Just as much screaming fun, but with less chance of being soaked, is taking a spin on a jetboat on the Waikato River near Taupo.

Contact:

Rapids Jet, ph 0800 727 437

Riverjet, ph (07) 333 7111

Hukajet, ph 0800 485 2538

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There are at least three things to do in Taupo. Take a look at Huka Falls and wonder how any kayaker could dare to run the falls and survive, spend a "penny" at the town's superloo, and go eat the residents at Prawn Park. The prawns grow fat and juicy swimming in geothermally heated water. The Huka jet operates from Prawn Park.

Contact: (07) 374 8474.

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Get the rush - or a detached retina - at that now standard worldwide tourist activity, a bungi jump. At Taupo you can plunge into water, at Taihape you can take the highest bungi dive in the North Island, from a bridge across the Rangitikei River. Hightime Bungy at Taihape also has night falls.

Contact:

Taupo Bungy, ph 0800 888 408

Hightime Bungy, ph 0800 802 8649

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Take a stroll outdoors. There is a huge range of short walks in Tongariro National Park, on both the Ohakune and Whakapapa sides of Mt Ruapehu. The best walk in the area is around Lake Rotopounamu which nestles in the Pihanga Saddle. Take time to listen to the birdlife. Another excellent walk is along the banks of the Tongariro River at Turangi. Take some lunch and make a day of it.

Contact:

Department of Conservation ranger stations or the Turangi Information Centre for walk maps and details.

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Turangi calls itself the trout fishing capital of the world, with good reason. Lake Taupo is like an inland sea and the Tongariro River and other rivers that flow into the lake are the spawning rivers for rainbow trout.

If you have never fished and want to ensure a catch, take a guided fishing trip on the lake. But if you want a lifetime of pleasure, hire a fishing guide to teach you flyfishing on the Tongariro River. For a list of guides go to the Sporting Life tackle shop in The Mall at Turangi.

Contact:

Sporting Life Turangi, (07) 386 8996

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Four-wheel-drive farm bikes have become to backcountry tourism what jetskis are to seaside resorts. The bikes are easy to ride and are a fun way to see life on the farm as well as to tour through forest and native bush.

Contact:

Great Lake 4 Wheel Drive Adventures, ph (07) 376 8386

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Visit the Army Museum at Waiouru. The museum has fascinating displays on New Zealanders at war and is open daily. It costs $8 for adults and $5 for children.

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Thermal activity created the mountains and lakes of the central North Island. You get some idea of nature's power at Orakei Korako, north of Taupo. This is an unspoilt geothermal world of gushing geysers, boiling mudpools and some of the largest silica terraces in the world. At Tokaanu, at the other end of the lake, there is a small thermal walk next to the public hot pools.

Contact:

Hidden Valley of Orakei Korako, ph (07) 378 3131

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If you don't mind a bit of mud, hire a mountain bike from Howard's Lodge in the National Park. They'll even take you on a tour if you prefer.

Contact:

Howard's Lodge, ph (07) 892 2827

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And if you wonder just what is so attractive about skiing or boarding, take a scenic flight over the Tongariro National Park, a World Heritage site.

Contact:

Mountain Air Chateau Airport, ph (07) 892 2812