Its my place: New Zealand: Mt. Ruepehu - First ski experience in my life & Park Travellers' lodge Review

FINALLY!

Done upload all the photos of skiing!

I should just make this post to 2 parts instead of 1, this make me upload all the photos for 3 days!

Yes, 3 days! Now you know how lousy the internet in NZ is, i don't bluff, this is so true!

Ok this is meaningless. Lets get back to my last outing.

Because of Williem i got to know Alicia, Evita and Yuan Ting, and because 3 of them, i got to know Anne, Kila and Vivianna, and because of 3 of them, i got to join them to ski, which i though i was never had a chance to ski in this winter!

They were 9 of us, 2 cars, runaway in the weekend toward Mount. Ruepehu, where part from where i stay like 5 hours driving distance, and there is the nearest ski field.

Mount Ruepehu itself is a snow mountain, and contain of 2 big ski fields, usually people go to either one, but for us, we go for both.

Mt. Ruepehu

I see you!

I feel like i was driving in dessert

Before reach ski field, we first arrive Ohakune, the carrot capitol of NZ, aka the must-pass by town to the ski field.

I read the photos taken by Williem before, and i always wanna go to this place just for the sake of taking picture with the giant carrot, and the big sign board of the town, this make me feel like i'm in fairy tale :D.

and guess what, right after i done typing about taking photo with the giant carrot, i scroll down and i found i miss uploading the photo!

I decided not to upload it, just because i lazy to re-arrange the photo, just don't worry, there was plenty of my photos coming up :D.

Oh well, we had our lunch in this town, was trying to look for some fast food, but this town is not afford to have fast food restaurant, this town is only happening during winter, but not in other season.

So at the end, the we went for this take away shop.

Just beside i-site, and i tell you what..

NEVER GO THIS RESTAURANT! Its very very very very suck! Both in service and food!

After suck lunch, we arrived the first ski field, Turao Ski Area.

Everyone is freezing!

Snow board

Yuan Ting and Frank after sliding down

All of us except Frank the photographer

But we're not skiing in this ski field, in fact this ski field is not for beginner like us, we choose to rent 2 snow boards instead of ski equipment in this ski field, just had fun in sliding down with snow board, and this already drive us crazy!

Oh yea, this is the first time i went to ski field, and i met snowing in this first time! Should i feel lucky, or not?!

But although its not a good weather for snow boarding, but this is beautiful, i mean like seeing the snow fall is just so romantic. =)

Well right after snow boarding, we went to the backpackers we made booking of, the Park travellers' lodge.

Very nice and comfy backpackers, $23 per person with BBH card, we owe the 6 beds room although we have only 4 persons in the room, as you can see the photos of the room which is absolutely top 3 backpackers that i ever stay.

I just have to recommend this backpacker if you guys are heading to Mt. Ruepehu, its not far at all from this place to the ski field.

Trust me, i'm not mincing someone

Alicia and I cooked the sauce

Dinner served!

6 of us

The comfy lounge

Chit chating in the room

Upper i choose

We had great time in this backpacker, met a couple when i had open air spa in the backpackers (yea this backpacker with FREE hot pool!), very nice to talk to them, the wife is Korean while the husband from UK, both of them met when they were working holiday in Australia.

What make me surprise is the wify has been staying in Malaysia for 3 years, and her old place is very close with mine, we were like talking about the food, the weather, the shopping, the pasar malam, and this make me miss home so much.

Well after hot spa and self-cook dinner in the backpacker, got back room and had a long chat with my mates, go to bed and ready for the ski in Whakapapa ski field next day!

We are all backpacking, and we've only limited budget, the next day we woke up early for prepared our lunch, another mess in the kitchen :P.

Ready for lunch box

9 of us owe the kitchen!

Our lunch

Check out sharp in 10am, and run toward the ski field!

I was thankful for the great weather in the morning, we can see the snow mount clearly!

I see you! Again!

So close

The girls

Walkin to the field

Vivianna from Brunei, Anne and Kila from Taiwan, Levi from Philippine

9 of us!

3 of them know how to ski

So why should i hire a guide? I have Yuan Ting!

The field

Evita, Yuan Ting, Frank, Levi and Anne, fall and sit in the middle of field =.=

Like a professional aye? And i fall in the next second.

Lunch time

Our sandwiches

Not bad at all

Ski again!

But they end up by playing with snow. Burying Yuan Ting

And she is mad

Then she became a mad

And the rest too go nuts

Only me, concentrate in making snow man

Then everyone come to take photos with my snow man *proud*

the girls

And later Frank was saying my snow man looks evil, then he lend me his glasses, cool ain't?

I love this!

They're torturing themselves by facing the ice rain

And Evita cant stand it anymore

Evita was energetics, she jumped almost every photo

And she fall after every photo taking too.

Just great

Instead of buying the beginner packer, which is cost us like $100, i choose to hire all the equipment with the price of $55 only, just because someone told me, you will learn how to ski when you fall enough.

Well, so why not? I ready to fall.

I just have to say, i had great fun although more than half of the time i was either falling or rolling on the snow, but hell, this is a great experience.

The best part is, few hours after we ski, the ski field warned for snow storm, everyone have to leave the ski field as soon as possible.

But who care? While the management is giving out warning, we were all cheered for the great snow falling!

That was like the end of the day.

Snow storm!

But we ignore the warning and still playing!

The storm is as serious as this

The view

Even my beanie was frozen!

And they're a father and son mad with us too

Cute!

Until the ski field is totally empty, and the snow storm is getting heavy, we finally leave the field, i just wish i could stay there for the whole day and ski till i drop!

And guess what, God heard me, while we're ready to leave the mt. The management told us unless we are driving 4 wheels car, or we're not allow to leave now!

I was like... God i'm wrong! i wanna get back to Tauranga and i got work the next day!

But we just gonna wait, half hour later we were allow to drive back. Phew~