Podcasts about mt ruapehu

The wondrous Ruapehu region never ceases to amaze me at its capacity to stir all senses, from its expansive platter of leisurely outdoorsy pursuits. It easily ranks as one of my all-time favourite playgrounds in New Zealand and I have revelled in its glories via a multitude of modes in recent years. I have savoured exceptional mountain bike trails, jet boating, quad biking and world-class hiking. Not to mention skiing. But in the autumn months, why not head to the heart of Tongariro National Park and take a ride to the summit of Ruapehu from Whakapapa village? The radiant Sky Waka, New Zealand's longest gondola ride, fully warrants the stature as a signature Kiwi experience. I've always been in awe of the alpine engineering audacity of the Swiss – and the Sky Waka absolutely projects that same sense of spine-tingling prowess. Spanning 1.8km from the base station and zipping you up 390m, Whakapapa's dramatically serrated volcanic landscape sweeps you up, as you gawp in wonder out of the glasshouse-like cabin, luxuriously appointed with heated leather seating! Situated at 2,020m above sea level, the cherry on top is Whakapapa Ski Area's Knoll Ridge Chalet which is New Zealand's highest café. As you gush superlatives over the horizon-searching views, it's a novel perch to enjoy coffee from Pātaka, drinks in The Back Bar, or nosh in style while marvelling at the skyline from Knoll Ridge's giant floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking The Pinnacles. I highly recommend “Tea at 2020m”, Whakapapa's stirring take on traditional high tea. It's actually considered the highest high tea on the planet, with a delectable tiered stand of sandwiches, savouries and cakes to work your way through. It's currently available until the end of April, prior to the mountain's seasonal switch to winter activities. After feasting on far too many tasty morsels, the mountain trails were calling. There are over 10km of marked trails to strike out on, ranging from 20 minute strolls to 3 hours return alpine hikes. Without its snow-coat, it's a compelling way to admire the dramatic terrain and its mash-up of volcanic rock, pumice, scoria and sand. Close to Chateau Tongariro, there's a stack of tasty wee tracks. The Tawhai Falls walk is a heart-stealer, leading you through mountain toatoa and beech forest to a waterfall tumbling over the edge of an ancient lava flow. It's one of two waterfalls used in Lord of the Rings that depicted Gollum fishing, hence its nickname is Gollum's Pool. (Mangawhero Falls, very close to Waitonga Falls, is the other location that was cast as Gollum's Pool.) It was sad to see the sorry sight of the moth-balled Chateau Tongariro, although the local rumour mill suggests a wealthy Irish businessman is a hot prospect to breathe new life into the grand lady. Just behind the Chateau, Taranaki Falls is a return walk for even grander waterworks. Passing through a mix of tussock, alpine shrublands and beech forest, the track wraps around the lower slopes of Ruapehu, with vintage views of Ngauruhoe's symmetrical cone. A flock of native birds, including whiteheads and grey warblers, serenaded my stroll all the way to Taranaki Falls, tumbling 20 metres over the edge of a large andesite lava flow which erupted from Ruapehu 15,000 years ago. If you're up for a half-day advanced hike, I definitely recommend the Tupapakura Falls walk. It starts just out of National Park village, on Fishers Road. The track has been upgraded by the local community in partnership with the Department of Conservation. It begins with an easy 20 minute walk to the Taranaki Lookout, serving up panoramic wide-range perspectives of Mt Taranaki and Mt Ruapehu. Beyond this point, the trail becomes a back country adventure track, which will test your stamina in the Erua Forest. The track follows a ridge and then descends steeply to a stream. There are good stands of tawa, mature rimu, miro and totara to see along the way. Climbing from the stream, the track winds its way around bluffs to a sparkling lookout point with views of the long-drop falls. You'll need at least four hours to knock off this 11km long track. Refuel? Reward yourself with a thirst-quencher at Schnapps Bar & Restaurant in National Park Village. Heading south? Synonymous with Ohakune as much as carrots, the famed main-street Chocolate Éclair Shop is worth the trip alone. Sinking your teeth into one of their celebrated giant cream-filled, chocolate-topped pastries is one of life's great pleasures. Just north of town, a curious diversion is Horopito Motors. It's featured in two classic Kiwi flicks, Smash Palace and Goodbye Pork Pie. Nicknamed Smash Palace, for a gold coin donation, you can see some film memorabilia and have a look around the yard. It's quite a yard – more like a vast car graveyard because Smash Palace are the biggest vintage car dismantlers in Australasia. It's like an enormous op-shop for old cars. They sell parts around the world for cars made between the 1920s-1970s and also for some early models that were built before WW1. The on-site museum also includes owner Colin Fredricksen's favourite car restorations on display. Back in my Ezi Car Rental vehicle, I was bound for Taumarunui, but I also enjoyed a short layover in the pint-sized village of Owhango, to reacquaint myself with Ohinetonga Scenic Reserve. Just over a decade ago a group of passionate local residents banded together to bring the birdlife back to this unlogged native podocarp forest, mercifully spared from the ravages of historic milling. This glorious slice of wilderness is on the boundary of Tongariro Forest Park and is now one of our national kiwi sanctuaries. It's also home to a vast flock native bird species including the whio (blue duck), dabchick, whitehead, North Island robin and kereru. Take a stroll on the 3.8km loop track around the reserve for some seriously soothing forest-bathing. I gave a massive 600 year old totara tree a fresh hug, after first marvelling over this mighty specimen four years ago. Yes, I'm still a happy little tree-hugger. I romped my way around the Ruapehu region in a trusty hybrid Ford Puma, courtesy of Ezi Car Rental. I thoroughly enjoyed the Ezi experience, where excellent vehicles, super sharp prices and fast & friendly service are all part of the package. Ezi Car Rental operates an extensive network from 24 locations across the country. They're everywhere you want to be with vehicles to suit your specific needs. Head to www.ezicarrental.co.nz The drama and grandeur of Ruapehu is power-packed as a year-round wonderland for outdoorsy adventure. Crowned by the triple volcanoes of the central plateau and the majestic Tongariro National Park, make tracks to the wide open spaces and hospitality charms of Ruapehu. www.visitruapehu.com Mike Yardley is our Travel Correspondent on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In all my travels, I've never encountered anything quite like it, particularly given its magnitude. Prising open the mighty King Country, Forgotten World Adventures (FWA) offers remarkable excursions, riding the rails of an abandoned railway line, stretching from the northern tip of the Ruapehu District to heartland Taranaki. It's not only an enduring totem to our guts-and-glory pioneering heritage but a more modern-day manifestation of gritty Kiwi ingenuity – and repurposing! Based in Taumarunui, FWA is an incredibly enterprising tourism venture boasting a compelling platter of soft adventure excursions, prising open the legends, heritage and unspoilt scenery of the hinterland. Forgotten World Adventures re-opened 142 kilometres of this decommissioned railway line in 2012, including 24 tunnels and 92 bridges – all built from hand. Founded by Ian Balme, this Waikato farmer dared to dream big, turning a mothballed rusting eyesore into a visionary business. For the past three years, FWA has been owned and operated by Grant Ross and Laura Wackett. They both have a fascinating backstory, principally in international television production, while Grant was also previously a professional rugby player in South Africa and France. Originally from Wellington, Grant is revelling in steering a homegrown enterprise, which was quite the baptism of fire given New Zealand was still wrestling with Covid when he purchased the business. He's very hands-on and highly engaging with guests. It was fascinating to chat to him about the challenges and rewards of the job – like when a massive storm buried the tunnel entrances in a pile of mud! The prohibitive costs of constant track maintenance underpinned KiwiRail's decision to pull the plug on the line's operation in 2010. Taking nearly 32 years to build, the Stratford – Okahukura Line (SOL) finally opened in 1932 and linked up with the main trunk line through Taumarunui to Auckland. Working gangs sawed and blasted their way through the bush-draped hinterland to lay the tracks of this steel artery. It cost 2.5 million pounds to build this line, equating to billions of dollars today – the most expensive rail line in our nation's history. They even built massive timber-trestle viaducts across the likes of the Mangatatoko Ravine, now overgrown in bush, because it would have been too difficult to maintain such a sky-high bridge. The engineering prowess was extraordinary. The line had been commissioned to transport products from the emerging farming, coal and logging industries. At its peak, there were 15 stations in operation on this line – now, concrete platforms serve as sobering memorial slabs to a bygone age. FWA operate six unique guided adventures, whether you're after a half-day excursion, full day or multi-day adventure. If you want to ride the entire 142km-long line to Stratford, that's a two-day affair, but I plumped for the full-day rail car ride to the self-declared Republic of Whangamōmona. You can do it one-way in either direction, with a night's stay in the irrepressible Whangamōmona Hotel. The historic hotel was built in 1912 and the area's proud history is lustily showcased on the pub walls. But full drama ensued in 1989when Whangamōmona threw a strop and declared its independence. It was prompted by local government reforms which carved up the boundaries of the Whangamōmona district, which resulted in half the district ending up in Manawatu-Whanganui, when most folk associate themselves with the Taranaki region. So they declared independence in the pub and continue celebrating Republic Day in January. You can even get your passport stamped at the pub counter. You'll love the ebullient spirit of the hotel and its patrons, with excellent meals and comfortable accommodation. Arriving into the main street, with its heritage shop facades, you'll feel like you've been transported into a Wild West movie set. It's utterly enthralling, and home to one of New Zealand's legendary watering holes. Meeting up with my FWA guide Ray, we set off from Whangamōmona, under bright blue skies, for our full-day ride back to Okahukura. Ray knows this wild region intimately, guiding since 2016 and prior to that delivering rural mail. He was an exceptional host on the rails, informative and effusively passionate about the region's rich heritage. This is certainly no train ride, but a unique self-drive rail journey in converted golf carts, where you're in charge of the pedals. Petrol powered and limited to a top speed of 22km an hour, these souped-up golf carts originate from Arizona, but given the lush and vivid greenness of the surrounding landscape, they certainly don't look out of place. I was half expecting a vast fairway to appear on the horizon. The weirdest initiation is feeling comfortable not steering the wheel, because you're firmly affixed to the rails. No turning required! The mining and milling heyday of the Forgotten World region may have long faded but the wrap-around scenery is deliriously drool-worthy, a blend of the bucolic, wistful, lonely and rustic. Animals vastly outnumber people in these parts, as we tootled by goats, deer, alpacas and happy herds of cows on elevated pastures, while a vast flock of freshly-sheared sheep skipped alongside the line, under the watchful eye of crowd-wrangling sheepdogs. Clattering along the tracks in our carts, curling through valleys and creased hills, we traversed lichen covered bridges spanning rivers, while more lichen streamed down from trees like confetti. We threaded our way through magnificent native forest, particularly around Tangarakau, where kiwi are being re-introduced to the bush. Towering papa cliffs rose up beside the railway line adding to the natural splendour. Reaching out on the eastern horizon, I snatched the occasional view of mighty Mt Ruapehu, piercing the skyline, by Tahora Saddle. The King Country's tightly folded steep-sided hills and starkly contrasting curvaceous hummocks, created by lahars from Taupo and Ruapehu eruptions, make for riveting topography. The Egyptians would be suitably impressed, because of all the pyramidal shapes that sharply point at the sky. The verdant countryside is sprinkled with clutches of ramshackle houses and dilapidated farm buildings, strutting the skyline as reminders of the region's boom times, when primary industries like timber-milling and coal-mining thrived. When in season, you can even pick wild blackberries, blueberries and apples from the railway line. It's sobering to reflect on how dramatically the population has changed in some of these settlements. A delicious buffet lunch awaited us in Tokirima, which FWA staff had prepared in advance of our arrival. We also stopped for scrumptious home-made snacks and a hot cuppa in the sleepy village of Matiere. It's still home to around 40 residents – and a thriving Cossie Club. At its peak, 85 years ago, Matiere had a population of 750, built on saw-milling and farmers breaking in land. This pioneering town once included a dairy factory, three general stores, two butchers, two drapers, a tailor, bank and post office. Information posts along the route, complete with historical photographs, illustrate how bustling many of these lineside communities used to be. But the undeniable highlight of riding these storied rails are the brick-lined tunnels laid by hand and the longest tunnel on the line, spanning 1500 metres. Apparently it comprises 3.5 million bricks and took eight years to build! Boring through these tunnels on our carts was absolutely thrilling. It certainly pays to wrap up warm. They can be bone-chillingly cold. The 1500 metre tunnel, known as the Okahukura Tunnel, is actually New Zealand's seventh longest rail tunnel. Adding to its ethereal theatre, a thick mist draped the middle of the tunnel, before we re-emerged from the darkness into spectacularly sunlit native bush. Rail travel has always exuded romanticism. The supreme sense of scenic intimacy is unmatched by road travel and the novelty of piloting your own passage along the tracks is an undeniable winner with the Kiwi DIY love affair. While in Taumarunui, my head hit the pillow at the Forgotten World Motel. My well-appointed unit was clean, quiet and toasty, the beds are cloud-comfortable and there's free Wi-Fi. The rail excursion season rolls on until May 10, before resuming again on October. Make tracks! For full details on the FWA product range, head to www.fwa.co.nz I romped my way around the Ruapehu region in a trusty hybrid Ford Puma, courtesy of Ezi Car Rental. I thoroughly enjoyed the Ezi experience, where excellent vehicles, super sharp prices and fast & friendly service are all part of the package. Ezi Car Rental operates an extensive network from 24 locations across the country. They're everywhere you want to be with vehicles to suit your specific needs. Head to www.ezicarrental.co.nz The drama and grandeur of Ruapehu is power-packed as a year-round wonderland for outdoorsy adventure. Crowned by the triple volcanoes of the central plateau and the majestic Tongariro National Park, make tracks to the wide open spaces and hospitality charms of Ruapehu. www.visitruapehu.com Mike Yardley is our Travel Correspondent on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Pike is one of our low-key legends who is a world-class story teller, with an exceptional story to tell. In 2007 he was guiding a friend to the summit of Ruapehu when the mountain erupted. As a layer of rocks, water and mud rained down on his Dome shelter, he was crushed and critically injured. When he next woke up in hospital, his leg was gone. Doctors called William's survival a miracle, but his crushed right leg had to be amputated below the knee. After a long series of surgeries and a gruelling rehabilitation, William learned to walk again with a prosthetic limb – and what he's done with his life since is equally remarkable and inspiring. This episode is gripping. William's harrowing account of being trapped on the mountain, anticipating death will stick with you. The community that rallied to save and support him in the rescue and rehab will  warm your heart – and how he's used the adversity to thrive in life will inspire. You'll love this one. We're also super stoked to announce that William has joined us at B2B Speakers and is available to share his story at your function or event. As you're about to hear, William is one of the best speakers in NZ and you can now get him to your work or event by flicking us a message at B2Bspeakers.co.nz. Also check out our epic lineup of former guests available for hire too. And while there sign up to our weekly newsletter with all the biggest news from us and the podcasting space in NZ.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Snow season is fast approaching but the North Island's only commercial ski field has an uncertain future

Mount Ruapehu has got a wobble on, with seismic data showing unusual clusters of small earthquakes on the mountain. The movement started in early March and was initially so small it was hard to pick up. But on some day there's up to six shakes and they can go on and on. GNS Volcanologist Steve Sherburn speaks to Lisa Owen.

Businesses that rely on Mt Ruapehu's Whakapapa slopes are popping the corks after the government announced a 7 million dollar cash injection for the ski field. Meanwhile, those on the other side of the mountain are waiting for the Turoa sale to be finalised. Any celebrations though may be dampened by a dose of reality from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who says there's no more money after this. Jimmy Ellingham is in National Park.

A central North Island iwi says Māori have been sidelined yet again in the latest decisions on the future of Mt Ruapehu's Whakapapa Skifield. The Government announced yesterday that it will provide seven million dollars to Ruapehu Alpine Lifts to ensure the ski season goes ahead while a buyer is sought for the business. But a local hapu say the plans amount to another slap in the face for Māori. Aiden Gilbert is the chair of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua - a collective of these hapū.

The Government remains adamant there will be no further bailouts for Mount Ruapehu's struggling ski field beyond this year.  Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts to operate this season.  The company, which has been in receivership since October last year, has been operating on funds from a previous bailout.  Regional Development Minister Shane Jones told Mike Hosking that the latest support will definitely be the last.  He says he's got no mandate to offer more money and is calling this bailout the "last chance saloon".  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's promising a further loan to Mount Ruapehu skifields, giving certainty to local operators and communities. Cabinet has agreed to provide just over $10 million to ensure this year's ski season can go ahead. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is great news for skiers- but the timing isn't great for the Government amid existing financial concerns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palmerston North hospital is flying in a doctor from Australia, there are more cuts at Massey University, Whakapapa Holdings has pulled out of taking over Mt Ruapehu skifield assets, and Jimmy has an update on teenager, Carson Harvey who required costly specialist surgery in London.

The future of Mt Ruapehu is again shrouded in uncertainty after the presumed buyer Whakapapa ski slopes buyer walked away. A government rescue package meant skiing could at last take place on the mountain's two slopes last winter, and there were hopes this year would provide yet more certainty. However, with the Whakapapa deal now up in smoke, the region's tourism businesses are nervous. Jimmy Ellingham reports [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6346461567112

Top stories for 9 February 2024 The battle lines have been drawn after the axing of Auckland's Regional Fuel Tax. We cross to Southland where residents of Bluecliffs are worried their homes will be swept into the Waiau River. The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a crucial case that will decide whether Donald Trump is eligible to run for President. We examine the future of Mt Ruapehu's Whakapapa skifield.

It's never too early to turn back. That's the message from police after two trampers lost on Ruapehu had a slow painful walk off the mountain, helped down by a volunteer rescue team on Monday. Bad weather, including fog and torrential rain, closed in the couple as they reached the crater lake; they lost the path and ended up wandering lost for hours. Lisa Owen speaks to Constable Mark Bolten. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6345854356112

Carla Carlson (Simcox) drops by. Tune in while we talk about Rachel Newton, Mt Ruapehu, Fun Times in Vegas, Summer camps in Alaska, The Nitro women's snowboard programme and so much more...enjoy!!!

As the years passed, Tangiwai slipped into memory. That's until Mt Ruapehu erupted again in the mid-90s, prompting panic throughout the region - and within Government. So how has the local area changed in the decades since Tangiwai? Guests:Weston KirtonIan MckelvieAndrew Chambers Don AlabasterJohn ChapmanChris CarterHollei Gabrielson Presenter and producer: Hamish WilliamsResearcher: Neesha BremnerSound engineer: Shaun D WilsonProduction assistants: Kathy Cunningham and Hohepa Te MoanaExecutive Producers: Ethan Sills and Andrew Laxon Select music by Anthonie Tonnon. Made with funding by NZ On Air / Irirangi Te Motu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

The future of Mount Ruapehu's skifields remain up in the air. The Tuwharetoa iwi group has abandoned its bid to take over the liquidated Ruapehu Alpine Lifts. Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton says there are reports the iwi now plans to take legal action, if the sale isn't stopped. He says it's a sad situation. "They thought they were going to be bidding- then they come in out of left field and say that they're not going to support a new bidder to actually go ahead with this negotiation."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a big weekend for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts- the company celebrated its 70th anniversary. This celebration was left in limbo after the company was put into administration in October following months of financial uncertainty. A last-minute bailout in June kept Ruapehu Alpine Lifts as temporary operators for the 2023 ski season. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts CEO Jono Dean says this milestone is still worth celebrating, despite working through difficult circumstances. "We can't dismiss the fact that we've been offering skiing and snowboarding on Mt Ruapehu for 70 years, a lot of New Zealanders learned to snowboard and ski here. That's something we're really proud of." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mother of an 11-year-old killed in a bus crash on Mt Ruapehu has told a court of her anguish at losing her daughter. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts was operating the shuttle bus that overturned after its brakes failed halfway down the steep Turoa ski field road. The company pleaded guilty earlier this year to health and safety charges and appeared in the Waitakere District court yesterday for sentencing. Rayssa Almeida reports.

This week on Tomorrow's World, Leilani and Rawan look into the upcoming, cost covered Girl's on Ice Aotearoa expedition for 15-16 year old girls. This is an 11 day expidition in Mt Ruapehu focused on earth science, art and the outdoors and is a part of the Inspiring Girl's Orginisation. Rawan spoke with Lauren Vargo, researcher at the Antarctic research centre in Victoria University and director of the Girl's on Ice about what the programme is about and why it is important. 

Are all snowflakes really unique? What makes some snow better for skiing? And what's the difference between snow and hail? Join Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset as they hit the slopes of Mt Ruapehu and discover a science wonderland of snow.

Dust off your thermal undies and sharpen your edges, we're back; that's the message from the operators of the beleagured Mt Ruapehu ski fields. Despite financial uncertainity, a $5 million government bail-out means the mountain is able to open tomorrow for the winter season. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts that runs the Whakapapa and Turoa Ski field went into liquidation last week after creditors failed to agree on who should take over the operation. Decision on its long term future could be months away. In the meantime, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts is reopening the fields tomorrow. Chief executive Jono Dean spoke to Lisa Owen [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6330347915112

Ohakune businesses and locals are breathing a sigh of relief that this year's Mt Ruapehu ski season has been saved.  A $5 million guarantee from the government allows the Tūroa and Whakapapa ski fields to open from Saturday despite Ruapehu Alpine Lifts being in liquidation. And for now, life pass holders can still ski. Jimmy Ellingham has the story.

Optimism has turned to despair and frustration for businesses in the shadow of Mt Ruapehu, after creditors of Ruapehu Alpine Lifts yesterday failed to endorse a new ownership proposal. Instead RAL today went into liquidation and the future of the Tūroa and Whakapapa ski fields remains uncertain. Our reporter Jimmy Ellingham filed this report from Ohakune. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6329821638112

The future of skiing on Mt Ruapehu is reaching a critical point with a watershed creditors meeting set for next week. Cabinet has agreed to support separate private bidders to run Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields after the previous operator, Ruapehu Alpine lifts, went into voluntary administration last year, owing millions of dollars. Whakapapa Holdings Ltd and Pure Turoa are separately seeking to purchase the assets of the respective ski areas, and want to open for skiing and boarding in the coming weeks. However a group of life pass holders are putting up a separate proposal to keep the ski areas in community ownership. Next Tuesday RAL creditors - including that block of life pass holders, will vote on the proposals. Meanwhile local iwi have criticised the process, saying they have not been adequately consulted. Kathryn speaks with head of Whakapapa Holdings, former Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas' chief executive Dave Mazey; and Sam Clarkson Life Pass Holders' representative and local business operator.

Cabinet has late this afternoon agreed to support separate private bidders running Mt Ruapehu's ski fields after the previous operater fell into volunteer administration. Regional Econonomic Development Minister Kiri Allan says the two preferred bidders are Whakapapa Holdings Limited and Pure Tūroa Limited. In the face of criticism that officials haven't adequaletly consulted with local iwi and hapū, Ms Allan says the government will work closely with them over their interests and relationship with the mountain. Jimmy Ellingham has the story, and Kiri Allan talks to Lisa Owen.   

The government is promising to consult closely with local iwi and hapu over the future the Mt Ruapehu ski fields. Cabinet has agreed to support separate private bidders running the ski fields after the previous operator fell into volunteer administration. Regional Economic Development Minister Kiri Allan says the two preferred bidders are Whakapapa Holdings Limited and Pure Turoa Limited, whose respective bids to run the slopes will be considered at a creditors' meeting next week. Hayden Turoa, from Whanganui and Ruapehu hapu grouping Te Patutokotoko, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

After years of Covid disruption, a poor snow season and uncertainty around the future of Mt Ruapehu's ski fields, people in the North Island town of Ohakune have something to smile about. They're basking in the news that new operators for the mountain's ski slopes could be around the corner. Jimmy Ellingham has more.

Peter Hillary, mountaineer and son of noted explorer Sir Edmund has put his backing behind a bid to save the Ruapehu ski fields. Peter Hillary agreed to become the Founding Patron of the Ruapehu Skifield Stakeholders Association (RSSA) to guarantee a future for operations on Mt Ruapehu. The organisation has launched a crowdfunding campaign as the first step towards keeping Mt Ruapehu's two commercial ski fields in public hands. Peter Hillary says the Ruapehu ski fields are the 'jewel of Central North Island tourism' and keeping them active is vital. "It would be analogous to letting all of the ski resorts and alpine activities of the Queenstown area disappear off the landscape. It would have a devastating impact."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of life-time pass-holders is hoping to crowd-fund millions of dollars to keep Mt Ruapehu's two skifields - Whakapapa and Turoa - in public hands. Its current operator, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts went into voluntary administration in October following a poor season and covid distruption. Our reporter Robin Martin has more.

As mountains get warmer with our changing climate, what will happen to the iconic alpine plants that live at high altitude? Claire Concannon visits the moonscape slopes of Mt Ruapehu with a team of researchers using an experimental set-up that's part-greenhouse, part-UFO.

What will happen to our iconic alpine plants in a warmer and wetter world? Claire Concannon visits Mt Ruapehu with a research team investigating the future for mountain flora.

The company that operates Mt Ruapehu's ski slopes has announced it will sell season passes for 2023 - despite being in voluntary administration. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts made the call during a period of uncertainty for the region, including the abrupt closure of Chateau Tongariro last month. Our reporter Jimmy Ellingham has more.

Episode #148: Man In The Mountain   (Song starts at 5:06 & 7:36)    Welcome to a time travelling adventure. On this episode, we're going back to 1988. That's one of the great things about being a songwriter. You get to move about in time within a song. You get to act, imagine, be emotional and tell stories. It's a blast. I enjoy composing a variety of music. I've sold 5000 CDs of mellow piano solo pieces, I enjoy singer songwriter, rock, folk rock genres and so on… 'Man In The Mountain' is a wild old song which I composed one rainy day. At the time, I was mid way through an entertaining stint at a restaurant at the Whakapapa ski fields at Mt Ruapehu, in New Zealand. I took my keyboard back to my cabin each night. It was great synthesiser (Roland D50) which had marvellous sounds on it. If I'd written this song on the piano I imagine it would've turned out quite differently. For this episode, I recorded a mellow piano/vocal version. I followed it immediately with the old demo I recorded on 4 tracks - lifted from an album by Paul Dredge and myself ( 'What It Is'. The total release was about 20 cassettes. Probably just as well, as we were finding our way, teaching ourselves how to record, how to arrange songs, but we had fun - and we were learning). You'll hear that the old demo could do with a remix. Oh well. Again, it was fun, it had a certain sort of manic energy, which suited the lyrics. The piano vocal version is more understated affair. It's a little more haunting and mellow, which I enjoyed recording. I keep a diary. It ‘clears the slate', keeps my pen free and ready to write song lyrics. I catch what comes through and really just 'get to get out of the way', doing my best to be a secretary as the words tumble in. I'm really in the flow when this is happening. Fast forward a few days and I'll have a stack of lyrics awaiting my attention. like back in 1988: "Hmm, man in the mountain.. oh that's right… this is a bit whacky ‘ a thousand animals crawl at night like thoughts in my mind..' obviously a love song. I'll pick this synth sound and see where I can take it"... So you bring energy and intention with you as you compose. The words suggest a musical style, but a lot has to do with how you are feeling as to what sort of song you end up with. It's also not a bad idea to try writing with different sounding keyboards (or guitars, or different instruments if you've got them up your sleeve). 'The Man In The Mountain' (song #76), was fun to write and fun to record. This episode was fun as well. The energy of the old demo spilled over into proceedings - and I'm glad it did. As usual, there's humour here - and lots of observations. Have a listen and step into the shoes of a creative songwriter for 30 minutes. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed recording it. Here's my blog : www.petepascoe.wordpress.com you can contact me at info@petepascoe.com. I welcome your feedback. If you do enjoy this episode, please be sure to leave a favourable review -and tell your friends about it - thank you in advance! Pete.

Today on The Panel Wallace and panellists Anna Dean and David Farrar discuss the dropping immunisation rates among young people. Plus, they discuss Mayor Wayne Brown's criticism of Auckland's Art Gallery and Mt Ruapehu's ski fields receiving a six million dollar lifeline.

Life pass holders for Mt Ruapehu's troubled ski fields have two more days to indicate whether they're willing to stump up funds to help save Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields.

Calls to give Mount Ruapehu a break. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts recently went into receivership, after years of financial difficulties. Life Pass Holders have been asked if they'd support a new entity, paying two and a half thousand dollars to continue skiing on Mt Ruapehu. Ongoing maintenance would also be funded by an up-to-250 dollar levy, for two or three years. Uenuku Charitable Trust chair Aiden Gilbert says  he supports giving the maunga space for a while. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voluntary administrators have been appointed to Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Limited, which will keep it trading while trying to figure out the best way forward. The company runs Mt Ruapehu's Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas - currently employing 196 staff. Covid-19 and poor weather has meant the fields have significant cash flow issues. Ruapehu mayor-elect Weston Kirton is most worried about those who work there and he'll be doing everything he can to cater for them using the mayoral taskforce. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Herald Wellington business editor Jenée Tibshraeny chats with Nick Mills about staff turnover at the Reserve Bank hitting a record high, why term deposit rates are unlikely to rise as much as mortgage rates and Ruapehu Alpine Lifts going into voluntary administration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Tuesday on Newstalk ZB) But What About the Chickens?/Tourism Still Not Fixed/No Snow Totally Predictable/Stop Stealing SirensSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pat Nepia drops by, tune in while we talk about IHI Syndicate, Brad Galloway, Mt Ruapehu, Atlantis Snowboards, Rachel Newton, Leon Eru, The North Island Posse and so much more...Enjoy!! P.s this episode was recorded in 2021 some things we talk about might be a bit dated...

Mt Ruapehu skifield's decision to farewell a third of their workforce and limit operations has left Ohakune businesses shocked and heartbroken.

One of the warmest wettest winters on record has put the skids on Mt Ruapehu's ski season, and cost 130 workers their jobs. That's a third of the staff working on the mountain's two main ski fields. The off-piste weather has hit the natural snow on both Whakapapa and Tūroa ski areas, but has also made it hard to create machine-made snow. Tūroa is closed for the rest of the week with the operators saying it will need a significant snow dump to reopen. Mike Wiggins is the owner of TCB Ski, Board & Bike Ohakune. He talks to Lisa Owen.  

Top stories for 25 August 2022 Countdown and Foodstuffs are told to loosen their grip on the wholesale market. Newly independdent MP Gaurav Sharma lashes out at the outgoing Speaker, Trevor Mallard Also a third of workers at Mt Ruapehu's skifields lose their jobs because there's no snow. And Manawatu and Whanganui could soon be home to a new "friendly" foreign wasp

The axing of a third of the staff at Mt Ruapehu's skifields is sending reverberations across the region. About 135 people have lost their jobs, as one of the warmest, wettest winters on record leaves the slopes at Whakapapa and Turoa almost bare of snow. Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which runs the two skifields, says Turoa is now closed and will require a significant snow dump to reopen. Ruapehu District Deputy Mayor Karen Ngatai spoke to Susie Ferguson.

A lack of snow has brought an abrupt halt to the ski season at the Turoa skifield on Mt Ruapehu - but it's not a complete right off just yet. 

On today's First Up pod - 130 people lose their jobs at Mt Ruapehu's ski fields due to the lack of snow; We checkout what's on the Government's shopping list for the supermarket duopoly with Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson and the Minister of Tourism says we don't want to attract low-budget visitors to Aotearoa, a position that's upset some backpackers ... and businesses. First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

Echo loves rolling in the snow but he has an important job to do while he's in the white stuff. He's an avalanche rescue dog and we are out with him and his handler keeping up his finely tuned skills to help save lives on the slopes and in the back country.

Snowseekers have struck it lucky overnight, with a big dump of snow at Mt Ruapehu. Earlier in the week Checkpoint reported on the barren and rocky skifields of Turoa and Whakapapa - in the middle of the school holidays. But there's been 70cm of snowfall in 24 hours.. raising hopes the chairlifts can fire into life this weekend. Turoa Ski Area Manager Johan Bergman has the details. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6309862824112

Volcanic activity on Mount Ruapehu is settling down again after a period of strong tremors over the weekend. The tremors increased sharply and fluctuated between moderate and strong levels on Friday night. GNS volcanologist Geoff Kilgour spoke to Susie Ferguson.

A series of news stories and concerns over rising tremors at Mt Ruapehu have again shed light on the risk posed by the Alpine Fault. Experts are growing increasingly concerned that a devastating earthquake could be imminent, causing widespread chaos across the South Island and costing the economy billions of dollars. So how real is this threat, and are we prepared for its impact? Today, Otago University Research Associate Professor Dr Caroline Orchiston joins Damien to talk about why we should be keeping a close eye on the Alpine fault in the coming years. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducer/Editor: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan Sills See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Residents of the Central North Island town of Ohakune are optimistic a booming winter is on the way after two years of Covid uncertainty. And although warnings about volcanic activity on Mt Ruapehu are posing some concern, the town's economy is moving away from a reliance on skiing. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham paid a visit.

Ruapehu Civil Defence officials have spent part of this week working on plan if there is an eruption. The central plateau volcano had its strongest tremors in two decades and plumes of steam were seen midweek. But locals are unfazed, as reporter Leah Tebbutt found out.

Scientists continue to monitor the volanic activity on Mt Ruapehu closely as temperatures rise. Thomas Wilson - Professor of Disaster Risk & Resilience at University of Canterbury explains what's actually going on.

Volcanologists say they have seen a steam plume from Mt Ruapehu, visible for 45 minutes. Mt Ruapehu is putting out the strongest tremor - or vibrations - in two decades and the crater lake temperature has risen to 39C this week. Nobody is allowed within a 2km radius of the summit. But as Sam Olley reports, skiers are being told not to cancel their plans.

A steam cloud was visible above Mt Ruapehu for about 45 minutes on Tuesday morning, as the volcano continues to show signs of life. Ruapehu is at Alert Level 2, indicating moderate to heightened volcanic unrest. GNS volcanologist Geoff Kilgour spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Today on RNZ National People are being promised their homes will still be built despite construction company Armstrong Downes Commercial going into liquidation The US is stepping up its diplomatic engagement with Pacific nations Mt Ruapehu records its strongest volcanic tremor in two decades, as the crater lake temperature remains high

Gas readings at Mt Ruapehu in recent days confirm continued high levels of volcanic gas emissions, along with the strongest volcanic tremor in two decades.   The temperature at Crater Lake, te Wai a-moe, has risen to 38 degrees. GNS volcanologist Geoff Kilgour spoke to Corin Dann.

Volcanic tremor levels at Mt Ruapehu increased over the past week and are now among the highest seen in nine years. The Crater Lake temperature has continued to rise, and GeoNet yesterday said the lake was at 36 degree celsius. It remains in a state of unrest at alert level two - a higher risk of an eruption. GNS science volcanologist Geoff Kilgour spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Grant 'Axe' Rawlinson is the human powered explorer and he recently posted on LinkedIn that he was speaking at an event in Singapore, talking about the need for organisations to become more exploratory in their journeys towards NetZero, versus waiting for all the data to make perfect decisions. According to Axe, it's time to get out there and start experimenting, embracing the unknown.I wanted to understand more about his thinking, so we had a wonderful conversation about the importance of being exploratory in solving the biggest challenges we face to achieve NetZero. We talked about so much more, including the adventures he's already undertaken (these are extreme challenges very few people have the courage to undertake), as well as what's coming up next, on his boat called “Little Donkey.” Finally, I found it very insightful to hear that most of the clients he works with are interested in one thing: how he dealt with failure and literally got back in the water, especially as he's talking about his experiences in one of the world's most dangerous and unpredictable oceans. A great conversation, worth listening too and sure to inspire. We need to take massive risks, there is no data to show the path, failure must be embraced and it's time to adopt an explorers mindset and get to work. To get in touch with GrantCheck out Grant's Website for more stories Motivational Speaker Singapore | Powerful Humans | Grant 'Axe' Rawlinson (powerful-humans.com)He's here on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantrawlinson/ His book From Peak to Peak: The Story of the First Human-Powered Journey from the Summit of Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand to the Summit of Aoraki/ Mount Cook : Rawlinson, Grant: Amazon.sg: BooksTo get in touch with me, Andrea EdwardsWebsites https://andreatedwards.com/ and https://uncommon-courage.com/ My book Uncommon Courage, An Invitation mybook.to/UncommonCourageAnd the workbook mybook.to/UncommonCourageActionAnd my Facebook Group Uncommon Courage https://www.facebook.com/groups/442905877003333 

Locals living near Mt Ruapehu appear unfazed by the signs of elevated volcanic unrest, despite the recent strong tremors and the lake heating up. Mt Ruapehu's Volcanic Alert Level has been raised to Level 2. But our reporter Kirsty Frame says locals are more concerned about the impact of Covid on their community, than a potential volcanic eruption.

Mt Ruapehu is on a raised volcanic alert level because of strong tremors in the area. The crater lake - Te Wai a-moe - is also heating up and has reached 31 degrees Celsius. There is a possibility the volcano's pressure is building. GNS Science duty volcanologist Craig Miller spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Remarkable Ruapehu is the topic of discussion between Mike and Chris on this third installment of Mt Ruapehu and Ohakune. Starting with a road-trip through Ruapehu in the perky mountain town of Ohakune to enjoying a day ride through the Ohakune Old Coach Road, a 15km thrill ride connecting Horopito to Ohakune. The drama and grandeur of Ruapehu is power-packed as a year-round wonderland for outdoorsy adventure never fails to impress. Crowned by the triple volcanoes of the central plateau and the majestic Tongariro National Park, make tracks to the wide open spaces and hospitality charms of Ruapehu.

For bonuses and to support the show, sign up at www.patreon.com/themidnighttrainpodcast   This week is our Christmas special here on the train. First, we've covered Krampus, Christmas killings, and ghost story Christmas traditions. Then, in keeping with our tradition of crazy Christmas episodes, today, we bring you some crazy Christmas disasters! Christmas isn't immune to crazy shit going on, from natural disasters to fires. Not only that, we're giving you guys a pretty good dose of history today. So with that being said, let's get into some crazy Christmas stuff!   While this first topic isn't necessarily a disaster in the usual sense, it definitely caused nothing but problems. And yes, it's a disaster. In 1865 on Christmas Eve, something happened that would change things for many people in this country and still causes grief to this day. While most people in the u.s. were settling down for the night with their families, leaving milk out for Santa, and tucking the kids in for the night, a group of men in Pulaski, Tennessee, were getting together for a very different purpose. Frank McCord, Richard Reed, John Lester, John Kennedy, J. Calvin Jones, and James Crowe were all officers with the Confederacy in the civil war. That night, they got together to form a group inspired at least in part by the then largely defunct Sons of Malta. While it started as a social club, within months, it would turn into one of the most nefarious groups around, the Ku Klux Klan. According to The Cyclopædia of Fraternities (1907), "Beginning in April, 1867, there was a gradual transformation. ...The members had conjured up a veritable Frankenstein. They had played with an engine of power and mystery, though organized on entirely innocent lines, and found themselves overcome by a belief that something must lie behind it all – that there was, after all, a serious purpose, a work for the Klan to do." It borrowed parts of the initiation ceremony from the sons of Malta with the same purpose: "ludicrous initiations, the baffling of public curiosity, and the amusement for members were the only objects of the Klan," according to Albert Stevens in 1907. In the summer of 1867, local branches of the Klan met in a general organizing convention. They established what they called an "Invisible Empire of the South." Leading Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest was chosen as the first leader, or "grand wizard," of the Klan; he presided over a hierarchy of grand dragons, grand titans, and grand cyclops. The organization of the Ku Klux Klan coincided with the beginning of the second phase of post-Civil War Reconstruction, put into place by the more radical members of the Republican Party in Congress. After rejecting President Andrew Johnson's relatively lenient Reconstruction policies from 1865 to 1866, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act over the presidential veto. Under its provisions, the South was divided into five military districts. Each state was required to approve the 14th Amendment, which granted "equal protection" of the Constitution to formerly enslaved people and enacted universal male suffrage. From 1867 onward, Black participation in public life in the South became one of the most radical aspects of Reconstruction. Black people won elections to southern state governments and even the U.S. Congress. For its part, the Ku Klux Klan dedicated itself to an underground campaign of violence against Republican leaders and voters (both Black and white) to reverse the policies of Radical Reconstruction and restore white supremacy in the South. They were joined in this struggle by similar organizations such as the Knights of the White Camelia (launched in Louisiana in 1867) and the White Brotherhood. At least 10 percent of the Black legislators elected during the 1867-1868 constitutional conventions became victims of violence during Reconstruction, including seven who were killed. White Republicans (derided as "carpetbaggers" and "scalawags") and Black institutions such as schools and churches—symbols of Black autonomy—were also targets for Klan attacks. By 1870, the Ku Klux Klan had branches in nearly every southern state. The Klan did not boast a well-organized structure or clear leadership even at its height. Local Klan members, often wearing masks and dressed in the organization's signature long white robes and hoods, usually carried out their attacks at night. They acted on their own but supported the common goals of defeating Radical Reconstruction and restoring white supremacy in the South. Klan activity flourished particularly in the regions of the South where Black people were a minority or a slight majority of the population and were relatively limited in others. Among the most notorious zones of Klan activity was South Carolina, where in January 1871, 500 masked men attacked the Union county jail and lynched eight Black prisoners. Though Democratic leaders would later attribute Ku Klux Klan violence to poorer southern white people, the organization's membership crossed class lines, from small farmers and laborers to planters, lawyers, merchants, physicians, and ministers. In the regions where most Klan activity took place, local law enforcement officials either belonged to the Klan or declined to act against it. Even those who arrested Klansmen found it difficult to find witnesses willing to testify against them.    Other leading white citizens in the South declined to speak out against the group's actions, giving them implicit approval. After 1870, Republican state governments in the South turned to Congress for help, resulting in three Enforcement Acts, the strongest of which was the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871.   For the first time, the Ku Klux Klan Act designated certain crimes committed by individuals as federal offenses, including conspiracies to deprive citizens of the right to hold office, serve on juries and enjoy the equal protection of the law. In addition, the act authorized the president to suspend the habeas corpus, arrest accused individuals without charge, and send federal forces to suppress Klan violence. For those of us dummies that may not know, a "writ of habeas corpus" (which literally means to "produce the body") is a court order demanding that a public official (such as a warden) deliver an imprisoned individual to the court and show a valid reason for that person's detention. The procedure provides a means for prison inmates or others acting on their behalf to dispute the legal basis for confinement.   This expansion of federal authority–which Ulysses S. Grant promptly used in 1871 to crush Klan activity in South Carolina and other areas of the South–outraged Democrats and even alarmed many Republicans. From the early 1870s onward, white supremacy gradually reasserted its hold on the South as support for Reconstruction waned; by the end of 1876, the entire South was under Democratic control once again.   Now, this was just the first version of the Klan. A second version started up in the early 1900s and later on another revival which is the current iteration of the Klan. We're not going to go into the later versions of the Klan because well…. Fuck 'em! We've already given them too much air time! But… This most definitely qualifies as a Christmas disaster.   Next up, we have a couple natural disasters.    First up, Cyclone Tracy. Cyclone Tracy has been described as the most significant tropical cyclone in Australia's history, and it changed how we viewed the threat of tropical cyclones to northern Australia.   Five days before Christmas 1974, satellite images showed a tropical depression in the Arafura Sea, 700 kilometers (or almost 435 miles for us Americans) northeast of Darwin.   The following day the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Darwin warned that a cyclone had formed and gave it the name Tracy. Cyclone Tracy was moving southwest at this stage, but as it passed the northwest of Bathurst Island on December 23, it slowed down and changed course.   That night, it rounded Cape Fourcroy and began moving southeast, with Darwin directly in its path.   The first warning that Darwin was under threat came at 12:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve when a top-priority flash cyclone warning was issued advising people that Cyclone Tracy was expected to make landfall early Christmas morning.   Despite 12 hours' warning of the cyclone's impending arrival, it fell mainly on deaf ears.   Residents were complacent after a near-miss from Cyclone Selma a few weeks before and distracted by the festive season.   Indeed in the preceding decade, the Bureau of Meteorology had identified 25 cyclones in Northern Territory waters, but few had caused much damage. Severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy was a small but intense system at landfall.   The radius of the galeforce winds extended only 50 kilometers from the eye of the cyclone, making it one of the most miniature tropical cyclones on record, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).   Records show that at least six tropical cyclones had severely impacted Darwin before Tracy.   The worst of these was in January 1897 when a "disastrous hurricane" nearly destroyed the settlement, and 28 people died.   However, unlike Tracy, it is thought this cyclone did not directly pass over Darwin.   And while Tracy was reported as a category four cyclone, some meteorologists today believe it may have been a category five shortly before it made landfall.   At midnight on Christmas Day, wind gusts greater than 100 kilometers or over 62 miles per hour began to be recorded.   The cyclone's center reached East Point at 3:15 a.m. and landed just north of Fannie Bay at 3:30 a.m.   Tracy was so strong it bent a railway signal tower in half.    The city was devastated by the cyclone. At least 90 percent of homes in Darwin were demolished or badly damaged. Forty-five vessels in the harbor were wrecked or damaged.   In addition to the 65 people who died, 145 were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.   Vegetation was damaged up to 80 kilometers away from the coast, and Darwin felt eerily quiet due to the lack of insect and birdlife.   Within a week after the cyclone hit, more than 30,000 Darwin residents had been evacuated by air or road. That's more than two-thirds of the population at that time.   Cyclone Tracy remains one of Australia's most significant disasters.   As Murphy wrote 10 years after the cyclone: "The impact of Cyclone Tracy has reached far beyond the limits of Darwin itself. All along the tropical coasts of northern Australia and beyond a new cyclone awareness has emerged."   Merry fucking Christmas! Damn, that sucks. The information in this section came from an article on abc.net.au   Next up, we are going way back. The Christmas Flood of 1717 resulted from a northwesterly storm, which hit the coastal area of the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia on Christmas night of 1717. During the night of Christmas, 1717, the coastal regions of the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia were hit by a severe north-western storm. It is estimated that 14,000 people died. It was the worst flood for four centuries and the last significant flood to hit the north of the Netherlands.   In the countryside to the north of the Netherlands, the water level rose up to a few meters. The city of Groningen rose up to a few feet. In the province of Groningen, villages that were situated directly behind the dikes were nearly swept away. Action had to be taken against looters who robbed houses and farms under the fraudulent act of rescuing the flood victims. In total, the flood caused 2,276 casualties in Groningen. 1,455 homes were either destroyed or suffered extensive damage. Most livestock was lost.   The water also poured into Amsterdam and Haarlem and the areas around Dokkum and Stavoren. Over 150 people died in Friesland alone. In addition, large sections of Northern Holland were left underwater and the area around Zwolle and Kampen. In these areas, the flood only caused material damage. In Vlieland, however, the sea poured over the dunes, almost entirely sweeping away the already-damaged village of West-Vlieland.   We also found this report from a German website. It's been translated, so our apologies if it's wonky.    "According to tradition, several days before Christmas, it had blown strong and sustained from the southwest. Shortly after sunset on Christmas Eve, the wind suddenly turned from west to northwest and eased a little. The majority of the residents went to bed unconcerned, because currently was half moon and the next regular flood would not occur until 7 a.m. At the time when the tide was supposed to have been low for a long time, however, a drop in the water level could not be determined. Allegedly between 1 and 2 a.m. the storm began to revive violently accompanied by lightning and thunder. Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning the water reached the top of the dike. The current and waves caused the dike caps to break, so that the tide rolled over the dike into the flat land with a loud roar of thunder. Many only had time to save themselves in the dark on the floor under the roof. Most of the time there was not even time to take clothes, drinking water and some food with you. Numerous houses could not withstand the rising water and the current. In the higher and higher water and the increasing current, windows were Doors and entire walls dented. Allegedly the hurricane and the storm surge raged against the coast for three full days, so that it was not until December 28 that the water fell so far that one could come to the aid of one's neighbors with simply built "boats." In many places, the dykes had been razed to the ground, which meant that in lower-lying areas, every regular flood caused renewed flooding. At the places where the dykes were broken, deep valleys, some of which were large, formed. In many places where the dike is led around in a semi-arch, these walls, also known as pools or bracken, are still visible and testify to the force of the water. At that time, many people are said to have believed that the march was forever lost. In the low-lying areas, the water was later covered with ice floes, sometimes held up for months. Up until the summer months, bodies were said to have been found repeatedly during the clean-up work on the alluvial piles of straw and in the trenches. Many people who survived the flood later fell victim to so-called marching fever. New storm surges in the following years ruined the efforts for the first time to get the dike back into a defensible condition, and many houses, which were initially only damaged, have now been completely destroyed. Numerous small owners left the country so that the Hanover government even issued a ban on emigration."   Looks like the Netherlands got a proper Christmas fucking as well! Some towns were so severely destroyed that nothing was left, and they simply ceased to exist. Damn.    Cyclones and floods… What else does mother nature have for us? Well, how's about an earthquake! On Friday, December 26, 2003, at 5:26 a.m., Bam city in Southeastern Iran was jolted by an earthquake registering a 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale. This was the result of the strike-slip motion of the Bam fault, which runs through this area. The earthquake's epicenter was determined to be approximately six miles southwest of the city. Three more significant aftershocks and many smaller aftershocks were also recorded, the last of which occurred over a month after the main earthquake. To date, official death tolls have 26,271 fatalities, 9000 injured, and 525 still missing. The city of Bam is one of Iran's most ancient cities, dating back to 224A.D. Latest reports and damage estimates are approaching the area of $1.9 billion. A United Nations report estimated that about 90% of the city's buildings were 60%-100% damaged, while the remaining buildings were between 30%-60% damaged. The crazy part about the whole thing… The quake only lasted for about 8 seconds.   Now I know what you're thinking… That's not Christmas… Well, there spanky, the night of the 25th, Christmas, people started to feel minor tremors that would preface the quake, so fuck you, it counts.   We have one more natural disaster for you guys, and this one most of you guys probably remember. And this one was another that started last Christmas night and rolled into the 26th, also known as boxing day. So we're talking about the Boxing Day Tsunami and the Indian ocean earthquake in 2004.    A 9.1-magnitude earthquake—one of the largest ever recorded—ripped through an undersea fault in the Indian Ocean, propelling a massive column of water toward unsuspecting shores. The Boxing Day tsunami would be the deadliest in recorded history, taking a staggering 230,000 lives in a matter of hours.   The city of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra was closest to the powerful earthquake's epicenter, and the first waves arrived in just 20 minutes. It's nearly impossible to imagine the 100-foot roiling mountain of water that engulfed the coastal city of 320,000, instantly killing more than 100,000 men, women, and children. Buildings folded like houses of cards, trees, and cars were swept up in the oil-black rapids, and virtually no one caught in the deluge survived.   Thailand was next. With waves traveling 500 mph across the Indian Ocean, the tsunami hit the coastal provinces of Phang Nga and Phuket an hour and a half later. Despite the time-lapse, locals and tourists were utterly unaware of the imminent destruction. Curious beachgoers even wandered out among the oddly receding waves, only to be chased down by a churning wall of water. The death toll in Thailand was nearly 5,400, including 2,000 foreign tourists.   An hour later, on the opposite side of the Indian Ocean, the waves struck the southeastern coast of India near the city of Chennai, pushing debris-choked water kilometers inland and killing more than 10,000 people, primarily women and children, since many of the men were out fishing. But some of the worst devastations were reserved for the island nation of Sri Lanka, where more than 30,000 people were swept away by the waves and hundreds of thousands left homeless.   As proof of the record-breaking strength of the tsunami, the last victims of the Boxing Day disaster perished nearly eight hours later when swelling seas and rogue waves caught swimmers by surprise in South Africa, 5,000 miles from the quake's epicenter.   Vasily Titov is a tsunami researcher and forecaster with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center for Tsunami Research. He credits the unsparing destructiveness of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on the raw power of the earthquake that spawned it. The quake originated in a so-called megathrust fault, where heavy oceanic plates subduct beneath lighter continental plates.    "They are the largest faults in the world and they're all underwater," says Titov.   The 2004 quake ruptured a 900-mile stretch along the Indian and Australian plates 31 miles below the ocean floor. Rather than delivering one violent jolt, the earthquake lasted an unrelenting 10 minutes, releasing as much pent-up power as several thousand atomic bombs.   In the process, massive segments of the ocean floor were forced an estimated 30 or 40 meters (up to 130 feet) upward. The effect was like dropping the world's most giant pebble in the Indian Ocean with ripples the size of mountains extending out in all directions.   Titov emphasizes that tsunamis look nothing like the giant surfing break-style waves that many imagine.   "It's a wave, but from the observer's standpoint, you wouldn't recognize it as a wave," Titov says. "It's more like the ocean turns into a white water river and floods everything in its path."   Once caught in the raging waters, the debris will finish the job if the currents don't pull you under.   "In earthquakes, a certain number of people die but many more are injured. It's completely reversed with tsunamis," says Titov. "Almost no injuries, because it's such a difficult disaster to survive."   Holy fuck… That's insane!   Well, there are some crazy natural disasters gifted to us by mother nature. So now let's take a look at some man-made disasters… And there are some bad ones.    First up is the 1953 train wreck on Christmas Eve in New Zealand. So this is actually a mix of mother nature fucking people and a man-made structure failing. This event is also referred to as the Tangiwai disaster. The weather on Christmas Eve was fine, and with little recent rain, no one suspected flooding in the Whangaehu River. The river appeared normal when a goods train crossed the bridge around 7 p.m. What transformed the situation was the sudden release of approximately 2 million cubic meters of water from the crater lake of nearby Mt Ruapehu. A 6-meter-high wave containing water, ice, mud, and rocks surged, tsunami-like, down the Whangaehu River. Sometime between 10.10 and 10.15 p.m., this lahar struck the concrete pylons of the Tangiwai railway bridge.   Traveling at approximately 65 km per hour, locomotive Ka 949 and its train of nine carriages and two vans reached the severely weakened bridge at 10.21 p.m. As the bridge buckled beneath its weight, the engine plunged into the river, taking all five second-class carriages with it. The torrent force destroyed four of these carriages – those inside had little chance of survival.   The leading first-class carriage, Car Z, teetered on the edge of the ruined bridge for a few minutes before breaking free from the remaining three carriages and toppling into the river. It rolled downstream before coming to rest on a bank as the water level fell. Remarkably, 21 of the 22 passengers in this carriage survived. Evidence suggested that the locomotive driver, Charles Parker, had applied the emergency brakes some 200 m from the bridge, which prevented the last three carriages from ending up in the river and saved many lives. Even still, 151 of the 285 passengers and crew died that night in the crash.   This information was taken from nzhistory.gov.    Next up is the Italian Hall disaster.    Before it was called Calumet, the area was known as Red Jacket. And for many, it seemed to be ground zero for the sprawling copper mining operations that absorbed wave after wave of immigrants into the Upper Peninsula.   Red Jacket itself was a company town for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, a large firm that in the 1870s was known as the world's largest copper producer. For a time, C&H had the world's deepest copper mines.   But the company wasn't immune from the organized labor push that swept across the Keweenaw Peninsula and other parts of the U.P. in 1913. Miners in Montana and Colorado had unionized, and in July of that year, the Western Federation of Miners called a strike against all Copper Country mines. According to a mining journal published that year, they were pushing for a $3 daily wage, 8-hour days, safer working conditions, and representation.   "The strike took place in a very complicated time in American history," said Jo Holt, a historian with the National Park Service's Keweenaw National Historical Park. "We had all these different things coming together. An increasingly industrialized country was grappling with worker's rights, gender issues, and immigration. We were moving from a gilded age into a progressive era, and recognizing the voice of labor.   "We see this event happen in the midst of that struggle."   "The reason it resonates today is we are still having these conversations. How do we create a just economy that functions for everybody? ... We are still, almost hundred and 10 years later, in the midst of these conversations."   As the strike wore into fall and the holiday season, a women's auxiliary group to the WFM organized a Christmas Eve party for the miners' families at the Italian Benevolent Society building, better known as the Italian Hall.   It was a big, boisterous affair, researchers have said. The multi-story hall was packed, with more than 600 people inside at one point. Children were watching a play and receiving gifts. Organizers later said the crowd was so large that it was hard to track who was coming in the door.   When the false cry of "Fire!" went up, pandemonium reached the sole stairway leading down to the street.   "What happened is when people panicked, they tried to get out through the stairwell," Holt said. "Someone tripped or people started to fall, and that's what created the bottleneck. It was just people falling on top of each other."   The aftermath was horrifying. As the dead were pulled from the pile in the stairwell, the bodies were carried to the town hall, which turned into a makeshift morgue. Some families lost more than one child. Other children were orphaned when their parents died.   One black and white photo in the Michigan Technological University Archives shows rows of what looks like sleeping children lying side-by-side. Their eyes are closed. Their faces were unmarred. The caption reads: "Christmas Eve in the Morgue."   After the dead were buried, some families moved away. Others stayed and kept supporting the strike, which ended the following spring.   Rumors emerged later that the Italian Hall's doors were designed to open inward, preventing the panicked crowd from pushing them outward to the street. Those were debunked, along with the suggestion in Woody Guthrie's "1913 Massacre" song that mining company thugs were holding the doors shut from the outside that night.   Damn… Mostly kids. On Christmas. That's a tough one.   Here's another touchy one. A race riot erupted in Mayfield, Kentucky, just before Christmas 1896. Although slavery in the U.S. ended after the Civil War, the Reconstruction period and beyond was a dangerous time to be black. Things were awful for non-whites in the former Confederacy, amongst which Kentucky was especially bad for racial violence. In December 1896, white vigilantes lynched two black men within 24 hours of each other between the 21st and 22nd, one for a minor disagreement with a white man and the other, Jim Stone, for alleged rape. A note attached to Stone's swinging corpse warned black residents to get out of town.   In response to this unambiguous threat, the local African-American population armed themselves. Rumors spread amongst the town's white people that 250 men were marching on the city, and a state of emergency was called. The whites mobilized, black stores were vandalized, and fighting broke out between the two sides on December 23. In the event, three people were killed, including Will Suet, a black teenager who had just got off the train to spend Christmas with his family. It was all over on Christmas Eve, and a few days later, an uneasy truce between the races was called.   Ugh! Y'all know what time it is? That's right, it's time for some quick hitters.   Many of us enjoy the Christmas period by going to the theatre or watching a movie. In December 1903, Chicago residents were eager to do just that at the brand-new Iroquois Theatre, which had been officially opened only in October that year. 1700 people in all crammed themselves in to see the zany, family-friendly musical comedy, Mr. Bluebeard. But just as the wait was over and the show started, a single spark from a stage light lit the surrounding drapery. The show's star, Eddie Foy, tried to keep things together as Iroquois employees struggled to put the curtains out in vain.   However, even the spectacle of a Windy City-native in drag couldn't stop the terrified crowd stampeding for the few exits. These, preposterously, were concealed by curtains and utterly inadequate in number. When the actors opened their own exit door to escape, a gust of wind sent a fireball through the crowded theatre, meaning that hundreds died before the fire service was even called. 585 people died, either suffocated, burned alive, or crushed. The scene was described in a 1904 account as "worse than that pictured in the mind of Dante in his vision of the inferno". Next up, the politics behind this ghastly event are pretty complicated – one Mexican lecturer described the massacre as "the most complicated case in Mexico" – but here's an inadequate summary. The small and impoverished village of Acteal, Mexico, was home to Las Abejas (the bees'), a religious collective that sympathized with a rebel group opposing the Mexican government. Thus, on December 22, 1997, members of the then-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party crept down the steep hill slopes above the village. They chose their moment to attack carefully as people gathered at a prayer meeting when they finally slunk into Acteal.   Over the next few hours, assassins armed with guns executed 45 innocent people in cold blood. Amongst the dead were 21 women, some of whom were pregnant, and 15 children. Worst of all, investigations into this cowardly act seem to implicate the government itself. Soldiers garrisoned nearby did not intervene, despite being within earshot of the gunfire and horrified screams. In addition, there was evidence of the crime scene being tampered with by local police and government officials. Though some people have been convicted, there are suspicions that they were framed and that the real culprits remain at large.   -Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring… except the Soviet Union. The Marxist-Leninist Khalq and Parcham parties had ousted the Afghan president in April 1978. Still, communism was so unpopular in Afghanistan that the mujahideen succeeded in toppling them just over a year later. So Khalq and Parcham turned to the Soviet Union for help, and on Christmas Eve that year, they obliged by sending 30,000 troops across the border into Afghanistan by the cover of darkness. Bloody fighting ensued, and soon the Soviet Union had control of the major cities.   The Soviets stayed for nine years, at which time the mujahideen, backed by foreign support and weapons, waged a brutal guerrilla campaign against the invaders. In turn, captured mujahideen were executed, and entire villages and agricultural areas were razed to the ground. When the Soviets finally withdrew in February 1989, over 1 million civilians and almost 125,000 soldiers from both sides were killed. From the turmoil after the Afghan-Soviet War emerged, the Taliban, installed by neighboring Pakistan, and with them Osama bin Laden. This indeed was a black Christmas for the world.   -How about another race riot… No? Well, here you go anyway. Although, this one may be more fucked up. The Agana Race Riot saw black and white US Marines fight it out from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, 1944. Guam was host to both black and white US Marines in 1944. But instead of fighting the enemy, the white troops elected to turn on the all-black Marine 25th Depot Company. First, the white Marines would stop their fellow soldiers from entering Agana, pelt them with rocks, and shout racist obscenities at them. Then, on Christmas Eve 1944, 9 members of the 25th on official leave were seen talking to local women, and white Marines opened fire on them. Then, on Christmas Day, 2 black soldiers were shot dead by drunken white Marines in separate incidents.   Guam's white Marines were decidedly short on festive cheer and goodwill to all men. Not content with these murders, a white mob attacked an African-American depot on Boxing Day, and a white soldier sustained an injury when the 25th returned fire. Sick of their treatment by their fellow soldiers, 40 black Marines gave chase to the retreating mob in a jeep, but further violence was prevented by a roadblock. Can you guess what happened next? Yep, the black soldiers were charged with unlawful assembly, rioting, and attempted murder, while the white soldiers were left to nurse their aching heads.   One more major one for you guys, and then we'll leave on a kind of happier note. This one's kind of rough. Be warned.    In late December 2008 and into January 2009, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) brutally killed more than 865 civilians and abducted at least 160 children in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). LRA combatants hacked their victims to death with machetes or axes or crushed their skulls with clubs and heavy sticks. In some of the places where they attacked, few were left alive.   The worst attacks happened 48 hours over Christmas in locations some 160 miles apart in the Daruma, Duru, and Faradje areas of the Haut-Uele district of northern Congo. The LRA waited until the time of Christmas festivities on December 24 and 25 to carry out their devastating attacks, apparently choosing a moment when they would find the maximum number of people altogether. The killings occurred in the Congo and parts of southern Sudan, where similar weapons and tactics were used.   The Christmas massacres in Congo are part of a longstanding practice of horrific atrocities and abuse by the LRA. Before shifting its operations to the Congo in 2006, the LRA was based in Uganda and southern Sudan, where LRA combatants also killed, raped, and abducted thousands of civilians. When the LRA moved to Congo, its combatants initially refrained from targeting Congolese people. Still, in September 2008, the LRA began its first wave of attacks, apparently to punish local communities who had helped LRA defectors to escape. The first wave of attacks in September, together with the Christmas massacres, has led to the deaths of over 1,033 civilians and the abduction of at least 476 children.   LRA killings have not stopped since the Christmas massacres. Human Rights Watch receives regular reports of murders and abductions by the LRA, keeping civilians living in terror. According to the United Nations, over 140,000 people have fled their homes since late December 2008 to seek safety elsewhere. New attacks and the flight of civilians are reported weekly. People are frightened to gather together in some areas, believing that the LRA may choose these moments to strike, as they did with such devastating efficiency over Christmas.   Even by LRA standards, the Christmas massacres in the Congo were ruthless. LRA combatants struck quickly and quietly, surrounding their victims as they ate their Christmas meal in Batande village or gathered for a Christmas day concert in Faradje. In Mabando village, the LRA sought to maximize the death toll by luring their victims to a central place, playing the radio, and forcing their victims to sing songs and call for others to come to join the party. In most attacks, they tied up their victims, stripped them of their clothes, raped the women and girls, and then killed their victims by crushing their skulls. In two cases, the attackers tried to kill three-year-old toddlers by twisting off their heads. The few villagers who survived often did so because their assailants thought they were dead.   Yeah...so there's that. We could go much deeper into this incident, but we think you get the point.    We'll leave you with a story that is pretty bizarre when you stop and think about it. But we'll leave you with this story of an unlikely Christmas get-together. This is the story of the Christmas truce.    British machine gunner Bruce Bairnsfather, later a prominent cartoonist, wrote about it in his memoirs. Like most of his fellow infantrymen of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he was spending the holiday eve shivering in the muck, trying to keep warm. He had spent a good part of the past few months fighting the Germans. And now, in a part of Belgium called Bois de Ploegsteert, he was crouched in a trench that stretched just three feet deep by three feet wide, his days and nights marked by an endless cycle of sleeplessness and fear, stale biscuits and cigarettes too wet to light.   "Here I was, in this horrible clay cavity," Bairnsfather wrote, "…miles and miles from home. Cold, wet through and covered with mud." There didn't "seem the slightest chance of leaving—except in an ambulance."   At about 10 p.m., Bairnsfather noticed a noise. "I listened," he recalled. "Away across the field, among the dark shadows beyond, I could hear the murmur of voices." He turned to a fellow soldier in his trench and said, "Do you hear the Boches [Germans] kicking up that racket over there?"   Yes," came the reply. "They've been at it some time!"   The Germans were singing carols, as it was Christmas Eve. In the darkness, some of the British soldiers began to sing back. "Suddenly," Bairnsfather recalled, "we heard a confused shouting from the other side. We all stopped to listen. The shout came again." The voice was from an enemy soldier, speaking in English with a strong German accent. He was saying, "Come over here."   One of the British sergeants answered: "You come half-way. I come half-way."   In the years to come, what happened next would stun the world and make history. Enemy soldiers began to climb nervously out of their trenches and meet in the barbed-wire-filled "No Man's Land" that separated the armies. Typically, the British and Germans communicated across No Man's Land with streaking bullets, with only occasional gentlemanly allowances to collect the dead unmolested. But now, there were handshakes and words of kindness. The soldiers traded songs, tobacco, and wine, joining in a spontaneous holiday party in the cold night. Bairnsfather could not believe his eyes. "Here they were—the actual, practical soldiers of the German army. There was not an atom of hate on either side."   And it wasn't confined to that one battlefield. Starting on Christmas Eve, small pockets of French, German, Belgian, and British troops held impromptu cease-fires across the Western Front, with reports of some on the Eastern Front as well. Some accounts suggest a few of these unofficial truces remained in effect for days.   Descriptions of the Christmas Truce appear in numerous diaries and letters of the time. One British soldier, a rifleman, named J. Reading, wrote a letter home to his wife describing his holiday experience in 1914: "My company happened to be in the firing line on Christmas eve, and it was my turn…to go into a ruined house and remain there until 6:30 on Christmas morning. During the early part of the morning the Germans started singing and shouting, all in good English. They shouted out: 'Are you the Rifle Brigade; have you a spare bottle; if so we will come halfway and you come the other half.'"   "Later on in the day they came towards us," Reading described. "And our chaps went out to meet them…I shook hands with some of them, and they gave us cigarettes and cigars. We did not fire that day, and everything was so quiet it seemed like a dream."   Another British soldier, named John Ferguson, recalled it this way: "Here we were laughing and chatting to men whom only a few hours before we were trying to kill!"   Other diaries and letters describe German soldiers using candles to light Christmas trees around their trenches. One German infantryman described how a British soldier set up a makeshift barbershop, charging Germans a few cigarettes each for a haircut. Other accounts describe vivid scenes of men helping enemy soldiers collect their dead, of which there was plenty.   One British fighter named Ernie Williams later described in an interview his recollection of some makeshift soccer play on what turned out to be an icy pitch: "The ball appeared from somewhere, I don't know where... They made up some goals and one fellow went in goal and then it was just a general kick-about. I should think there were about a couple of hundred taking part."   German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch of the 134 Saxons Infantry, a schoolteacher who spoke both English and German, described a pick-up soccer game in his diary, which was discovered in an attic near Leipzig in 1999, written in an archaic German form of shorthand. "Eventually the English brought a soccer ball from their trenches, and pretty soon, a lively game ensued," he wrote. "How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time."   So much more can be said about this event, but that seems like an excellent place to leave off this Christmas episode! And yes, when you really do stop and think about it… That's a pretty crazy yet fantastic thing.   Greatest disaster movies of all time   https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-disaster-movies-of-all-time

Nikki talks to Kathryn about a few localised protests. There's the Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray Westmere helipad situation, a sand issue at Herne Bay beach, opposition at Pakiri about the environmental issues around sand, and skiers are protesting potential Mt Ruapehu ownership changes. Nikki Mandow is Newsroom's business editor.

Nikki talks to Kathryn about a few localised protests. There's the Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray Westmere helipad situation, a sand issue at Herne Bay beach, opposition at Pakiri about the environmental issues around sand, and skiers are protesting potential Mt Ruapehu ownership changes. Nikki Mandow is Newsroom's business editor.

Skiers were unknowingly a "knife edge" away from catastrophe on bus trips down Mt Ruapehu, but the risk was only revealed after a crash that killed 11-year-old Hannah Francis. The details are in a just released coroner's report that says poor driving by an experienced bus driver was the primary cause of the crash in July 2018. Phil Pennington has been reading the report.

Skiers were unknowingly a "knife edge" away from catastrophe on bus trips down Mt Ruapehu, but the risk was only revealed after a crash that killed 11-year-old Hannah Francis. The details are in a just released coroner's report that says poor driving by an experienced bus driver was the primary cause of the crash in July 2018. Phil Pennington has been reading the report.

Tomorrow Cabinet faces probably the toughest decision they‘ve had to make since the country entered a lockdown in August. Does Auckland stay at Alert Level 4, or move to Level 3?I've spoken to a lot of people over the week and for those in Auckland, this week - week 5, was the week people just gave up.They've given up on home schooling (if they're persevering they've at least given up pretending working from home is a breeze), they've given up getting dressed up for their Wear a Wig zoom meeting, they've given up trying to keep some semblance of order in the house.Day 32 and Lockdown Fatigue has well and truly descended on Auckland.It's no surprise. 18 months into this pandemic and we all know it's perfectly common to feel exhausted, flat, as if we are languishing, impatient, lonely, and lack motivation.So how much should lockdown fatigue play in the government's decision tomorrow? University of Auckland professor and Covid modelling expert Shaun Hendy mentioned on Friday that lockdown fatigue may necessitate an alert level shift in Auckland next week. Cabinet's challenge will be balancing the risk of further transmissions at a lower level against the consequences of Auckland remaining in a level 4 lockdown.There isn't an Aucklander out there that doesn't want to move to Level 3 on Tuesday night. But the only thing worse than staying in Level 4 this Wednesday would be moving to Level 3 and yo-yoing a week or two later back to Level 4 because of an increase in community transmission. It would be devastating.Aside from a few outliers who think it's okay to go to Taupo, Wanaka, Mt Ruapehu or for a quick Macca's run over the border, most of us are following the rules (whether we like them or not) and getting vaccinated and tested if need be.We're done our best for our families and communities until now. But the government needs us all to continue to hold it together until our vaccination rate is higher, so in the interests of minimising dissent and maximising compliance I think they do need to weigh our fatigue in their decision.But not before we consider issues like how many cases of concern are not linked to people known to have the virus, and the economic cost to people's lives.It's been an incredibly rough ride for small and medium sized business, and industries such as hospitality and tourism. Too many business owners have spent the last month calculating whether this lockdown will be the end of their businesses.So yes, I'm kind of counting on going to level 3 this week. Not so much for me, but for all those doing their best to keep businesses alive and people employed.

Businesses around Mount Ruapehu are missing their Auckland visitors with the supercity still at Covid-19 alert level 4. In nearby town Ohakune, the effects of alert level restrictions were expected to hit like an avalanche, but most seem to be weathering the storm. Reporter Jake McKee went to check out how the tourist town's coping.

Host Mike and Chris bring you Kiwi Tripsters Travel Podcast – the inside word on all things travel. Join Mike as he takes a trip to Mt Ruapehu and surrounds to soak up the winter wonderland.

A rickety wooden bridge responsible for carrying thousands of tonnes of the country's potatoes and carrots is jeopardising truckers' safety and farmers' livelihoods. Repairing or replacing the bridge on a back road on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu is now less certain because of funding changes. Phil Pennington reports.

A rickety wooden bridge responsible for carrying thousands of tonnes of the country's potatoes and carrots is jeopardising truckers' safety and farmers' livelihoods. Repairing or replacing the bridge on a back road on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu is now less certain because of funding changes. Phil Pennington reports.

A century-old wooden bridge full of holes that carries thousands of tonnes of the country's potatoes and carrots is jeopardising truckers' safety and farmers' livelihoods. But repairing or replacing the bridge on a back road on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu is now less certain because of funding changes. Ruapehu District is home to more than 300 ageing bridges, built from the 1920s to the 1940s, which are at the end of their lives. Mayor Don Cameron told Susie Ferguson.

Major vegetable growers and contractors near Mt Ruapehu are faced with a dilemma - use a rickety old bridge or have their business kneecapped. The district council has imposed a tight weight limit on the Mangateitei rail overbridge after engineers found 'severe' defects. The council says changes in road funding models mean it is more uncertain if the Government will pay a 75 percent share to replace the bridge. In the mean time it is putting in cameras to spot overweight trucks. Local contractor Dave Hammond says that means he is having to break the law as he can't afford to run an empty truck and there is no other public road out. Scott Young, whose family firm Kim Young and Sons carts huge amounts of carrots and potatoes across the bridge, says the situation jeopardises lives and livelihoods

A century-old wooden bridge full of holes that carries thousands of tonnes of the country's potatoes and carrots is jeopardising truckers' safety and farmers' livelihoods. But repairing or replacing the bridge on a back road on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu is now less certain because of funding changes. Ruapehu District is home to more than 300 ageing bridges, built from the 1920s to the 1940s, which are at the end of their lives. Mayor Don Cameron told Susie Ferguson.

Major vegetable growers and contractors near Mt Ruapehu are faced with a dilemma - use a rickety old bridge or have their business kneecapped. The district council has imposed a tight weight limit on the Mangateitei rail overbridge after engineers found 'severe' defects. The council says changes in road funding models mean it is more uncertain if the Government will pay a 75 percent share to replace the bridge. In the mean time it is putting in cameras to spot overweight trucks. Local contractor Dave Hammond says that means he is having to break the law as he can't afford to run an empty truck and there is no other public road out. Scott Young, whose family firm Kim Young and Sons carts huge amounts of carrots and potatoes across the bridge, says the situation jeopardises lives and livelihoods

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://www.eglobaltravelmedia.com.au/mt-ruapehu-welcomes-re-opening-of-the-trans-tasman-border/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/global-travel-media/message

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://www.eglobaltravelmedia.com.au/mt-ruapehu-ready-to-welcome-australians-back-to-its-slopes/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/global-travel-media/message

The volcanic alert for the central north island mountain is now at two.  

A two kilometre exclusion zone is in place around the Mount Ruapehu crater lake - Te Wai a-moe - after GeoNet raised its volcanic alert level. The temperature in the crater lake has risen to 43 degrees, and it's now at Alert Level two - which indicates moderate volcanic arrest. GNS duty volcanologist Mike Rosenberg says gas output through the crater had also increased - the mix of gases in the plume is now the largest measure in the past two decades. The Department of Conservation is preparing to do an aerial sweep of the area tomorrow - spokesperson Connie Norgate says anyone in the immediate vicinity should leave.

Increased geothermal activity on Mt Ruapehu is continuing.GeoNet raised the volcano's alert level to two yesterday.It reported a rise in the crater lake's temperature, tremors and one of the highest measured increases in volcanic gas.GNS duty seismologist Mike Rosenberg told Tim Dower not much has changed overnight, with small pulses of volcanic tremor ongoing."The activity sees the crater lake's temperature rise about one degree a day - and it's nothing unusual."Since 2007 the crater lake temperature has exceeded 40C a number of times, without leading to an eruption, however, the combination of the increased lake temperature, volcanic tremor and gas output have motivated the alert level change.GNS Science and the National Geohazards Monitoring Centre continues to closely monitor Mount Ruapehu for further signs of activity.LISTEN ABOVE

William Pike is a kiwi explorer with a phenomenal story. He survived a volcanic eruption while climbing Mt Ruapehu in 2007 with a good friend of his, losing his leg in the process as he clung on for his life. In this podcast we unpack this incredible story, and how he managed to survive with the odds stacked against him. We talked about his journey afterwards as a teacher, and a motivational speaker. He has since launched the William Pike Challenge. A programme aimed at giving kiwi kids an opportunity to develop resilience, connect with their communities and foster well-being through the outdoors. You need to sit down and hear this incredible journey with William!

Multiple mechanics say the bus involved in a fatal crash on Mt Ruapehu was mechanically sound, and pointed towards driver error. The inquest into the death of 11-year-old Hannah Francis is into its seventh day. She died after a Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bus overturned on the way down the mountain in 2018. Jordan Bond reports.

The father of an 11-year-old girl who died in a bus crash on Mt Ruapehu, has described screams of fear when passengers realised the brakes on the bus had failed. Hannah Francis died in July 2018 after the mountain's shuttle bus, operated by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, crashed into a bank and rolled on to its side during its descent down the mountain. On Tuesday the inquest into Hannah's death began in Auckland. Jordan Bond was there.

The proud owner of TCB Ski, Board and Bike in Ohakune, gives updates on the snow at Mt Ruapehu and explains what tuning your skis and boards and whats been happening during Covid, needing to book carparks etc

*Quick note: We're working from home due to Covid-19, so this podcast is coming to you from Beth's wardrobe. Enjoy, and we hope you're all staying safe and sound. Lots of love, the HIS team xxxHeaving his massive backpack on, 22-year-old Kiwi William Pike was itching to get up the mountain. He and his mate James Christie – who he’d met at uni while studying to be a primary school teacher – were about to conquer Mt Ruapehu, on New Zealand’s north island. It was James’ first taste of mountaineering and William couldn’t wait to introduce his friend to the sport that he was so mad about. Over a week, the lads planned to climb the mountain’s three major peaks – the highest soaring nearly 3000m above sea level. They had all the right gear, the weather forecast was good, but there was another factor that was completely beyond their control - Mount Ruapehu is an active volcano. But, checking in with the local authorities before setting off, they said there was no sign that it was about to erupt...Interview/script/host: Beth YoungProducer: Jake Taylor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

William Pike, at the age of 22, lost his right leg after being after being struck by a boulder in the 2007 eruption of Mt Ruapehu.He was sleeping in a hut on Mt Ruapehu at the time the lahar hit around 8.30 at night.  That was 12 years ago today, and this experience lead him to become an incredibly successful inspirational speaker and founder of the William Pike Challenge Award. He joined Simon and Phil to chat about that day on the 12 year anniversary, and his work with the Antarctic Heritage Trust inspiring the next generation of young explorers. LISTEN ABOVE

Hi all, this week we have not held back - we have gone straight to the top, assisted by Mt Ruapehu's brand new gondola!We chat with Whakapapa Ski Field operations manager Steve Manunui about the process of getting their Sky Waka up and running and also how they go about making snow when the weather doesn't play ball.We also fire off some takes about the Blackcaps World Cup fizzer and the Super Rugby final featuring of course, the Crusaders. All this plus much much more. Stay Stoked!    

Welcome to this week's Stoked podcast where we take a long look at one long piece of construction.This week we are lucky enough to be joined by Jono Dean, General Manger at Whakapapa Ski Field to talk about their state of the art new gondola being built on Mt Ruapehu.Costing 25 million dollars, the gondola is set to be functional by late June, right on time for the snow and you shredders. We found out from Jono how the massive project has shaken down. Plus we take a deep dive into the mind of the GOAT, Kelly Slater and talk some basketball real quick.Cheers & Stay Stoked!

No criminal charges will be laid in relation to a Mt Ruapehu bus crash that killed a West Auckland schoolgirl. Police have completed their investigation into the crash near the Turoa Skifield in July that killed 11-year-old Hannah Francis. Eighteen others were injured, including the driver. Police say, as a result of their investigation, no criminal charges will be laid - and they're preparing for a coroner's hearing. Detective Inspector Ross McKay, crime manager for the central district CIB, says Police will continue to provide support for other agencies in their ongoing investigations.Also today: MP travel expenses revealed, reaction to Huawei decision, and the new Mary Poppins Santa statue challenging gender stereotypes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So I’ve been in a news blackout this weekend and it was lovely.Into the Central North Island I went. I biked all around Taupo for a look on Saturday and then up Mt Ruapehu on Sunday. The mountain that was closed because it was full by 8.15am each day. It really is booming. Perhaps a bit too much.My impression of the whole region was one of activity and excitement. No vacancy signs all over Taupo. People skydiving. The roar of engines from the Motorsport Park. The streets buzzing with languages and accents from around the world. She was all go That might also be because the weather was simply superb. I’ve never seen the water of Lake Taupo smoother. It was jaw-droppingly beautiful.But the upshot was that I was completely deaf to any news. So deaf that even though I was in the town that developed a sinkhole in it I didn’t know.So this morning I finally turned on the radio to find out what was going on in the world. And the lead story was the New Zealand dollar going lowerFor many, this is a bad sign even though it was completely predictable when Adrian Orr said that interest rates weren’t going up any time before 2020. On the other side, the US Fed has increased interest rates seven times in the past three years and is likely to do it two more times before Christmas. That means the US base rate is higher than ours for the first time in two decades.So any money invested was always going to flow out in search of higher interest rates.But let’s always remember that these things are relative. While you can say look how well the US is doing you could also say look how badly they’ve been doing for decades. Remember they got so bad that had effectively zero interest rates and they printed money.Our dollar is now at 66 cents versus the greenback. 12 per cent lower than a year ago. In 2000 it was 39 cents.Now while the petrol prices and imported goods are going to get more expensive you have to look at the bright side that we have in relative terms.Yes, America is firing, but our predicted growth rate for the next three years is still better than Europe, Japan and the UK.Our low-interest rates mean low mortgages, but more importantly, any business doing well can find cheap capital.The businesses doing well will be those trading overseas who will be getting 12 per cent more than a year ago. And that’s exporters, agriculture and of course tourism. We’ve become 12 per cent cheaper than last year and 25 per cent cheaper than we were in 2014. No wonder Taupo was rocking this weekend with foreign accents.And there’s more money available for investing in these businesses as private equity investors pull out of fixed terms.The business confidence figures and a low dollar worry some. But for me, I see this as a cup of tea for six months and the upshot is that we will be well placed to get our second wind.

In the 15th episode of Season 2, I sit down with Hans Hjelde of Snowbasin, UT. Enjoy our chat with Hans...I know I did as we sat down, threw back a few drinks and Hans talks about his experience as a ski patroller, ski guide, dog handler, backcountry forecaster, and volunteer climbing ranger in places like Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand, Danali, AK, Gulmarg India, Snowbasin, UT, and the Ruby Mountains of NE Nevada. I am hoping next season, I will be able to compile another episode featuring other people's experience forecasting and working in Gulmarg, as it seems like such a unique avalanche forecasting experience.... Enjoy the episode!

Today's podcast is a true example of a human with the right attitude to life. Having lost his leg when Mt Ruapehu erupted in 2007, William shares with me his journey during the event and how he mapped his road to recovery and beyond. As you will hear there was never any doubt he would get back to the life he had but now he had some new goals and a vision for the impact he wanted to make in the world. This interview is both humbling and inspiring... and proves that suffering is part of what makes you stronger.

Today I chat with Grant Rawlinson, better known as Axe. Axe is what you would define as an adventurer, specifically a human powered adventurer. He has taken part in multiple human powered adventures, from Getting from the Summit of Mount Ruapehu to the summit of Mount Cook in three weeks. Climbing Mount Everest, twice among many others. His current adventure is called rowing from home to home, where he is rowing from his home in Singapore, to his birthplace of New Zealand, with a significant cycle through Australia on the way. His stories of adventure are epic, but what is even more epic is the insight he has gleaned from them. I enjoy his approach to risk mitigation, his concepts around preparation, and how he identifies what he wants to go after. Topics we chat through in the show include; + The reason he moved from New Zealand to Singapore + The pull of adventure + Playing in the Hong Kong sevens + Following curiosity until it turns into passion + The importance of planning + Grant's approach to risk management + Attempting to climb Mount Everest and the lessons learned + Traversing from the top of Mt Ruapehu to the top of Mt Cook purely under human power + His current adventure rowing and cycling from Singapore to New Zealand + And of course - getting uncomfortable +     Guest: Grant "Axe" Rawlinson https://axeoneverest.com/ Grant Facebook From Peak to Peak Grant Twitter Grant Instagram Host: Chris Desmond UIOK Instagram UIOK Facebook Twitter Support the show on Patreon  

What is snow? How and where is it made? Why is it white? Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset head to Mt Ruapehu in search of the answers to all your questions about snow.

What is snow? How and where is it made? Why is it white? Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset head to Mt Ruapehu in search of the answers to all your questions about snow.

What is snow? How and where is it made? Why is it white? Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset head to Mt Ruapehu in search of the answers to all your questions about snow.