Jimmy Ellingham for RNZ The ski season on Mt Ruapehu has now finished and, after an uncertain start, huge dumps of snow ensured it was the best in years..
Business owners and locals in the shadows of Mt Ruapehu are eagerly awaiting some certainty about the future of the mountain. Discussions are still ongoing between the companies bidding to take over operations on the mountain, and interested parties, such as the local iwi, and the Department of Conservation. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham has the story.
After a $5m guarantee from the government just ahead of the busy school holiday fortnight, all that's needed is snow - but the forecast suggests this will arrive too.