550 hectares of incredible terrain awaits you! Whakapapa is NZ's largest ski area & boasts the country's premier beginner facility as well as vast areas of intermediate & advanced terrain.
Whakapapa's Happy Valley is THE place to learn to ski or board. With its own cafe, rental outlet, 5 lifts plus a ski & ride school, it's like its own mini ski area just for beginners.
When you graduate from Happy Valley you get to play in the vast intermediate & advanced slopes made all the more exciting by the natural volcanic terrain. Come explore everything from cruisy groomers to exhilarating chutes, bumps & drops.
Whakapapa is home to NZ's largest gondola, the NEW 1.8km Sky Waka. Open year-round, Whakapapa is NZ's largest ski area in winter and open for you to explore NZ's largest volcano in summer. Ride Sky Waka to the award-winning Knoll Ridge Chalet any time of year. At 2,020m above sea level, it boasts NZ’s highest restaurant & café with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the pinnacles providing spectacular views.
Whakapapa is right in the middle of the North Island, an easy 40-minute drive from Motutere Bay TOP 10 Holiday Park at Turangi. Head over for an easy short or long winter break!
Once you're in the region you'll find it well serviced by the local villages of National Park & Whakapapa Village. From Whakapapa Village you're only a short 6km drive up a fully sealed road to the ski area - it's the easiest mountain road in NZ! Or head to Turangi or Taupo for a lakeside town experience a little further afield & serviced by our shuttles.
A fully self-contained learners’ area, Happy Valley boasts its own café, rental complex, ski & ride school meeting area, while also being free of advanced skiers and snowboarders. The gentle slope is nice and long, allowing for plenty of time to really get the hang of turning and stopping, with easy to use carpet lifts and a slow-moving chairlift for quick progression. Happy Valley is accessed via two 26 person high-speed elevators to make the transition from the carpark to snow a whole lot easier and faster.