Located in the Central Plateau of NZ’s North Island, Mt Ruapehu is an easy drive from the nation’s main centres of Auckland & Wellington and tourist hotspots such as Taupō, Rotorua & Tauranga. The closest airport to both Whakapapa and Tūroa is Taupō's domestic airport.
North Island's biggest mountain
Park and Ride Transport
Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) has undertaken a transport pre-qualification exercise and awarded a 5 year exclusive supply agreement for the public transport shuttle services Taumata Ikaroa. The new brand Taumata Ikaroa is a partnership between Te Urungi o Ngāti Kuri Ltd, the commercial arm of Ngāti Kuri Trust Board, and Sand Safaris with a placeholder being held for Iwi/Hapu on the mountain.
Taumata Ikaroa will bring its unique Far North transport offering to the ski fields of Turoa and Whakapapa with a fleet of brand new 4WD buses.
You’ll find shuttle timetables and pricing, plus drive times and details on closest airports on the links below.
Whakapapa
Open year round, Whakapapa is renowned for expansive terrain & amazing views of the Tongariro National Park. Its NZ's largest ski area with the longest season (June to October). In summer, visitors can explore NZ’s largest volcano via the Sky Waka gondola.
Turoa
Tūroa boasts NZ's longest vertical drop at 722m. The High Noon Express takes you to the highest lifted point in NZ with panoramic views of North Island. Home of freeride in the north island with wide trails, natural hits & world class terrain parks.
