New Zealand Ski Areas Re-Open At Level 2

New Zealand’s ski areas have re-opened at the country’s Level 2 of pandemic restrictions on  Wednesday after what grew from an initial three-day lockdown to a nearly three-week long one, to try to suppress an outbreak of the Delta variant in the country.

Most of the country’s larger centres have 3-5 weeks of the normal season left, although centres on Mt Ruapehu on the North Island usually stay open to late October or November.  For most conditions are currently among the best they’ve been all winter.

Level 2 does not yet mean a return to pre-pandemic type life, which New Zealand has enjoyed for much of the past 18 months.  Instead it is more like much of the rest of the world at present.

Face coverings will be required when in buildings and riding lifts, scanning in is mandatory, skiers should keep to their bubbles, and there are physical distancing requirements in rentals, restaurants and ski school.

(Mt Dobson and Porters pictured in the past week)