I’ve taken a few days holiday so we packed our ski kit and head out of town to the very literally named National Park Village 15 mins from the Mt Ruapehu ski area. This is the furthest south we have been so far and after 5 hours including a stop for lunch we arrive at the ‘Adventure Lodge and Motel’ where we have a family room booked.

It is mid afternoon and in the communal living room a number of people are reading books in front of the fire as the ski area is closed due to high winds. It’s weird there are blue skies, the sun is hot and there is not a hint of a breeze at the Motel. We sort out ski hire and drive up to the ski area to see what’s going on. Within 3km of the Whakapapa (the ski area on Mount Ruapehu) the wind is blowing a gale and the barriers are across the road. We head back to the motel.

The next day  we get up at 07.00 to the news that the lower slopes are still closed due to the wind speed. This will be reviewed at 10.00. The lower slopes eventually open 12.00. Meg goes to ski school for a 2 hr lesson and the rest of us ski the lower slopes.

We collect Meg, who seems to have had a good time and is enjoying being on skis (in fact she no longer wants a dog if she can go skiing every day). We spend the rest of the afternoon on the lower slopes where Ellie and Cari go off on their own returning occasionally to where we have based ourselves and Ruth and I take it in turn to ski with Meg (who skis between our skis while we hold her). Meg sings as we ski along and shouts ‘wheeeeee’ as we ski passed people.

The next day (Friday) we get up at 07.00 for breakfast and then straight up to the slopes there is no wind the sky is cloudless and you can see for miles. Mt Ruapehu is a dormant volcano which last erupted in 1997. From the top and to the east you can see Mount Tranaki another dormant volcano which is snow covered and is perhaps 100 miles away (?) – it is quite some view from the top !! While Meg is in ski scholl we head up the upper slopes. Ellie is not leaning back as much as she was on day 1 and Cari is increasingly bullet-like.

We return to collect Meg who is now skiing short distances on her own (in a straight line) so we take it in turn to ski with Meg / ski separately for the rest of the day.

In the evening we are joined by a Welsh guy (Richard ) originally from Ammanford and his wife Diane (a kiwi) for a meal at one of the bars in village. They are also staying at the Motel and have 2 children.They had lived in Wales for the 14 years and emigrated 2 years ago. Again proving that it is not a small world, it’s actually a big world but that we just revolve in small circles. They are good company and they offer to put us up at their place Napier which I am sure we will take them up on.

Saturday is another glorious day and we are on the slopes by 09.00 for Meg’s lesson. After collecting Meg we head up the mountain (volcano) and have lunch at the highest Cafe in New Zealand. With no little thigh burn we ski down with Meg skiing between our skis. We stay on the sloped until 16.00 and then head back National Park.

These are the best weather conditions we have skied in – skiing in a t-shirt +  helly hanson is the best !!  On the way back we have some food in a bar and then spend the evening watching a stuttering All Black side struggle to overhaul a the Springboks 2^nd team for 60 mins before scoring 3 late tries in the bar across the road which is packed-out.

On Sunday we head for home.  We leave at 09.00 and, with a stop for lunch, are back in Auckland for 14.00. We’ve covered 550 miles in the last 5 days. Feet-up is the order of the afternoon !!