Big slushy produces white gold

WHITE GOLD: Mt Ruapehu's snow maker turning water into fun.

It's like a giant slushy machine, only instead of edible snow cones this one makes real snow.

The $1.7 million snow-maker has been instrumental in getting the Mt Ruapehu ski season off to a rip-roaring start.

"We opened Happy Valley a full month before we did last year. And it was our biggest weekend in terms of visitor numbers across the last decade," marketing manager Matt McIvor says.

Happy Valley opened on June 3 and the lower Whakapapa field followed suit last weekend, to the delight of skiers, snowboarders and local business operators.

The rest of Whakapapa and Turoa opens on July 1.

The giant snow factory has been running since April.

Operations Manager Steve Manunui sits in the driver's seat.

Operating in temperatures of up to 24 degrees, the machine pipes 200 cubic meters of frozen snow per day into piles, which are then spread out.

"The magic number for the snow factory is 24 degrees. That's when mother nature will melt it, at the same rate that you are making it," Mr Manunui said.

Making snow isn't cheap - it's not just the cost of purchasing the machine - it is also the cost of running it.

"It cost us about 1.5 million dollars, and the huge cost, or the main cost is power. It uses around 340 kilowatts, which is a little bit. It would run a few houses a day," Mr Manunui said.

But - so far the investment has been worth it.

Coupled with some co-operative cold snaps, the snow machine has built a good snow base.

"It's been cold, definitely. Last weekend was obviously pretty decent, with snow down to National Park," Mr McIvor said.

He's hoping for a busy season. "We had a really good season pass campaign, which was up on previous years."

There's even talk of an extended season.

"Possibly, and we certainly think an even earlier open next year," says Steve Manunui.