While Australia’s ski season has been one of the worst on record, New Zealand’s largest ski field is spending millions of dollars on an upgrade, after its best season in 10 years.
The new chairlifts being built at Mount Ruapehu will be the biggest, longest and fastest in Australasia.
More than $11 million has been raised by selling life passes, with the money going towards a six-seater, high-speed chair lift on Turoa ski field.
At the moment it takes three chairlifts and at least half an hour to reach the top of the ski field. The new lift will only take four and a half minutes and carry three times the number of people.
Ski field officials say it will mean shorter queues and will allow access to the snow earlier in the season.
Over 300,000 people have taken to the slopes at Turoa and Whakapapa this year, about 50,000 more than last year.
