Mt Ruapehu lift staff must be trained to keep a straight face no matter now ridiculous the customers look. I'm quite thankful for this as I elegantly face-plant on the dismount from Whakapapa's Happy Valley chairlift - again.
"You okay there, madam?" the young operator asks as he hauls me to my ski-strapped feet. Thankfully, this time it takes only one of them, not two like last time. I must be getting better.
The last time I strapped on a pair of skis was almost 20 years ago in the South Island.
I had blithely assumed it would be like riding a bike and I'd be casually slaloming within minutes of being back on the mountain, weaving through the boarders and skiers on Ruapehu's flanks with ease.
One of those skiers is my 9-year-old daughter, Grace. It's her first time on skis and she has taken to it like she was born on them. Thankfully, she was too absorbed in listening to her instructor, Erica, to see me pull myself out of a snow bank. Erica was skiing backwards (backwards!) her arms up, encouraging Grace to bat her hands as she followed her.
We had woken that morning in the beautiful Chateau Tongariro, at the foot of the Bruce, the white mountain looming in our window.
The first snow dumps of the season meant the mountain open just a week ago.
The Chateau is something of a Kiwi icon. It appears out of the mist like a fairy tale and oozes olde-worlde style and charm, with liveried staff on hand to assist with your luggage as you pull up to the portico.
The open fire here is the place to relax and unwind, apres-ski.
I was a little worried about putting Grace through the skiing experience - the cold, the wet, the falling over - but a lesson seemed wise so she could learn properly from the start.
Erica, a Canadian who spends her life travelling between New Zealand and Canada teaching children to ski, quickly had Grace relaxed and confident. After just an hour she was challenging me to a race. The cheek of it.
After a few more runs, my confidence grew, too. I let my speed increase beyond a walking pace and could snowplough to a stop rather than fall.
I even stayed upright getting off the chairlift but Grace still easily beat me down the hill, though.
Lessons are a good investment for children and adults. It makes the experience much more pleasant and gives confidence from the start.
The last time I skied, I remember being cold, wet and sore. But the sport has come a long way since then, with better equipment and clothing which keeps you warm and - crucially - dry, no matter how many times you face-plant.
We hired our ski pants and jackets from Edge to Edge at the Skotel behind the Chateau - it also rents ski equipment and specialises in gear for expert skiers. Plus if you're switching from one side of the mountain to the other like us, you can rent your gear at Whakapapa and return it in Ohakune.
After our day's skiing at Whakapapa, we drove the half-hour to Ohakune, where a hot spa awaited at the Rocky Mountain Chalets on the outskirts of the village.
Less than 10 years old, each chalet is privately owned, offering comfortable, well-appointed family accommodation, perfectly set up for skiers, with handy facilities like heated cupboards for drying gear.
Turoa is only a 20-minute drive up the mountain from Ohakune and, as we drove up first thing in the morning, we could see the learners' Alpine Meadow already covered with the black dots of tiny skiers.
My husband was feeling confident enough to ride down from the top of the Movenpick chairlift, but I opted to stay on the meadow, honing my staying-upright skills.
After another hour's lesson, Grace was elegantly slaloming from one side of the meadow to the other and keen to ride on the Movenpick.
But we decided this was a step too far for a two-day novice and we steered her towards building a snowman instead, something else she does better than me.
IF YOU GO
* Whakapapa has more than 65 trails over 1050ha, including the beginners' Happy Valley, 30 groomed trails for intermediate skiers and 24 black and black diamond runs.
* Turoa boasts Australasia's longest vertical descent and New Zealand's highest lift.
* Both ski areas have fully sealed access roads, licensed cafes, retail stores, equipment hire and ski schools. Handily, you can ski both areas with one lift pass. For more information, visit mtruapehu.com.
The Bayview Chateau Tongariro: The Chateau, built in 1929, sits at the foot of Whakapapa and is less than an hour's drive from Turoa. It offers a range of accommodation, from the luxurious Te Heu Heu suite to two-star motel units a short walk from the main building.
Rocky Mountain Chalets: On the fringe of Tongariro National Park and a 20-minute ride to Turoa, Rocky Mountain Chalets is an exclusive, alpine-style development of 42 beautifully appointed stand-alone dwellings, with spa pool and sauna. It is well set up for skiers with secure gear storage, and you can buy your lift passes there.
SKIING WITH KIDS
* The key to skiing with children is to make sure they are warm, dry and well-fed - and to remember that skiing is physically demanding. Make sure they have a good breakfast and lunch - cafes on both sides of the mountain offer hot food and are a pleasant place to take a breather.
* A lesson is essential for beginners. Mt Ruapehu offers ski lessons for 3-year-olds and up, and snowboarding starts at about age 7.
* Turoa also has a kids' centre for 2- to 5-year-olds.
Helen van Berkel and family travelled courtesy of Mt Ruapehu, the Bayview Chateau Tongariro and Rocky Mountain Chalets.
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