Submitted by admin on o Āpereira 22, 2009 - 22:27
Facilities, Clubs, Membership
The first chairlift in New Zealand was installed on Mount Ruapehu and was opened by Sir Edmund Hillary in August 1954. There are now five modern ski lifts as well as rope tows with a capacity of over 3,000 an hour. At Ruapehu also there are 35 club lodges and huts which provide accommodation for about 1,500 skiers. The largest of these is the Ruapehu Ski Club Lodge, which accommodates 65, while the club's hut caters for a further 32. With 1,250 members, the Ruapehu Ski Club is one of the largest sports clubs in New Zealand. Most South Island ski-ing areas (except Coronet Peak, Ohau, and Mount Cook) are run by private clubs. These have installed their own facilities, including rope tows. The largest ski field in the South Island is that at Coronet Peak, near Queenstown, where there are five tows having a total capacity of over 1,500 people per hour.
Of the 51 clubs affiliated to the New Zealand Ski Association, 35 (with over 5,000 members) are in the North Island and 16 (with over 3,000 members) are in the South Island. If non-club members are included, it is estimated that there are over 10,000 skiers in New Zealand.