Photo essay: New Zealand's magnificent snow-capped mountains

Wednesday, 19 June 2019

One of winter's first cold snaps gripped New Zealand this week.

People play in snow after a downpour in early June, at Whakapapa Village.

Temperatures plummeted to negative digits in Hamilton, Dunedin, Pukaki, Christchurch and Taupō.

The wider Auckland region dropped to near-freezing. Typically sunny Tauranga thudded to a little over one degree.

While the rest of the country shivered Wellington enjoyed unusually balmy temperatures in comparison - a brusque eight degrees on Wednesday, its neighbour Upper Hutt dropping to freezing.

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Mount Hutt had 'perfect conditions' on its ski-fields this week.

Mount Ngauruhoe after snowfall in early June, 2019

* Freezing start to day for much of the country**

* **Freezing start in inland south, lower North Island

* Coldest night of the year for wider Waikato

The view of Whakapapa, Mount Ruapehu, from Bruce Rd, taken in early June, 2019.

Canadian tourist Amy Caron at Whakapapa ski-field.

* Another chilly night across the country**

Old beanies and gloves were dug out of drawers, heaters and fireplaces were lit, recipes for mulled wine were searched.

On Mount Hutt skiers and snowboarders enjoyed perfect conditions of full sun and at least 25cm of snow base. It was a similar story at Mount Ruapehu on the North Island's central plateau where 6cm of snow fell on the upper mountain in the past week, and fine and clear days greeted visitors.

'The snow base is building at Mt Ruapehu's Happy Valley with lots of snow for snowboarders and it's looking great for the approaching school holidays,' Whakapapa general manager Jono Dean said. 'Snow is also looking good on the upper mountain with Whakapapa and Turoa skifields due to open late this month.'

The skifields' 1.8km gondola, Sky Waka, is due to be finished by then.

Sunday brings rain for Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Invercargill.