Ohakune

Ohakune is a town of 1,400 people (2020) in the Ruapehu district of the central North Island of New Zealand, adjacent to Tongariro National Park.



Understand
Ohakune is well regarded as a winter destination within New Zealand. It is at the base of Ruapehu mountain and is known as the ski capital of the North Island. Winters are the busy season for Ohakune, attracting skiers from all over New Zealand, Australia and beyond. The town makes a delightful stopover in the summertime too, when visitors are fewer and the walks and hikes around town are inviting, with mountain biking particularly popular.

The town is divided into two parts. The "upper" part, also called the Junction, is around the train station and its vicinity. It is home to a number of lodges, inns and cafes, and is also closest to Tongariro National Park. The lower part of town is larger and contains shops, restaurants, a tourist info center (i-site), as well as a riverside park.

By car
Ohakune is on State Highway 49 off Highway 1, about 3.5 hours north of Wellington and 4.4 hours south of Auckland. You can also come in via Highway 4 from Whanganui (1.5 hrs), which is quite twisty but scenic.

By train
The Northern Explorer has trains three times per week from Auckland or Wellington. The train station is within easy walking distance to lodges and hotels in the upper part of the town.



By bus

 * Intercity has a daily service from Auckland and from Palmerston North

Get around
You can walk from the upper to the lower part of town in a 45 minutes or so. During the winter, a bus service runs every half hour until the bars close. Other car and taxi services are available during the winter months. Ask at your lodge.

While you can walk along the sidewalks to get from one part of town to another, for better views take scenic walkway along the riverside also connects the two. From the upper part of town, cross the river over the old bridge, then walk 100 metres or so to the trail opening on the left side of Old River Road. Enjoy the swinging pedestrian bridge.

See




Do
Particularly in winter, most visitors come here to ski and snowboard, with Tūroa only 20 minutes away and Whakapapa around 45 min. Conditions permitting, you can self-drive or take a shuttle from town. See Skiing on Mt Ruapehu for the full scoop.


 * Walk or hike in Tongariro National Park. The park's entrance and Ranger Station is located on Mountain Road, just north of the train station.  The Rimu and Mangawhero Forest are short walks and easily accessible for those staying in Ohakune.
 * Skateboard on the half pipe, located along Clyde Street in the lower part of town.

Go next

 * National Park Village
 * Raetihi
 * Tongariro National Park
 * Turangi