Skifield primed for early start

‘‘... this is the first significant dump.’’

Rob Needs Stratford Mountain Club

A timely dumping of snow on Mt Taranaki has local skifield operators rubbing their hands for an early start to the ski season.

The Stratford Mountain Club’s Manganui Ski Area is currently closed under the coronavirus alert level 3 restrictions.

But club members hope if restrictions are reduced, and social distancing rules are relaxed, it will soon be open for business.

In 2018, the club was the first in the country to open facilities, and the last to close for the season – although it only opened when conditions suited.

Spokesman Rob Needs said overnight snowfall on Tuesday had provided a good 50-100 millimetres of snow cover on the lower skifield t-bar area, which sits at 1470 metres.

The low front on Tuesday resulted in snow coverage across the Pouakai Ranges and down as far as the Pouakai Hut at 1200m.

‘‘We have had a couple of dustings earlier on this year but this is the first significant dump and very early in the season for us,’’ he said.

‘‘Some club members say you need at least five snowfalls to open for the season but this recent dusting will at least drop the ground temperature and allow any more snowfall to form on a good base.’’

Needs said electrical repairs to the t-bar following a lightning strike, and a replacement rope for the top tow, at 1600m, were required before the skifield could operate fully.

‘‘We probably couldn’t open, even if the alert level was lowered, until the repairs are completed,’’ he said.

Needs said the ‘‘lean machine’’ club would be in a good position to open once all facilities were ready.

‘‘Being a turn-key operation with less overheads and staff we have an advantage over the other bigger commercialised fields in being able to start early.

‘‘We also know with the skifield being relatively low altitude we need an extreme weather event to make the season viable.’’ Needs, who operates Top Guides, said Taranaki may be well suited to attracting tourists once the borders begin to open.

‘‘It really is ‘wait-and-see’ what different plans are put forward.’’

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF A fresh dump of snow has covered Taranaki Maunga, which is a promising sign of good things to come, Stratford Mountain Club spokesman Rob Needs says.