Whakapapa skifield
From Free net encyclopedia
Whakapapa on the northern side of Mount Ruapehu in New Zealand's Tongariro National Park is one of the mountain's two commercial skifields. The season is generally from July to October, but depends on snow and weather conditions. It is accessible by car and chairlifts, with beginners to advanced skiing slopes. Limited accommodation and refreshments are available at Top O'the Bruce, at the entry to the skifield, as well as elsewhere on the mountain. Alpine huts are also provided for trampers and climbers.
Mount Ruapehu is considered to be the largest skifield in New Zealand and possibly the southern hemisphere.
Chateau Tongariro, which has appeared on several New Zealand stamps, is a feature of Whakapapa village.
In the native Maori language the combination "wh" is pronounced as "f" for the most part. Whakapapa would be pronounced as "Fakapapa".
A more significant meaning of Whakapapa is "genealogy" in the Maori language.