Mt Ruapehu visitors are being reminded to ‘click, clean and be caring’ this summer by two familiar messengers.
The smiling faces of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Ministry of Health’s Dr Ashley Bloomfield now welcome visitors to the maunga with summer friendly messaging reminding them to click their COVID-19 tracer app and check in, clean their hands and be caring about others.
“With the recent reported COVID-19 community cases it’s timely to remind our visitors to stay safe, not only for themselves but also everyone around them and we’ve opted for big and bold messaging so there’s definitely no excuse," Ruapehu Alpine Lifts chief executive Jono Dean says.
“A large billboard now greets maunga visitors with the PM and Ashley urging them to ‘click, clean and be caring’. It’s a reminder that we’re in Alert Level 1, not Alert Level none and we still need to take precautions."
Mt Ruapehu has also laid down a challenge on Facebook to other tourism operators around the country to do the same. Facebook Mt Ruapehu
“We all need to do our part in keeping New Zealand and our visitors safe. It’s been a tough 2020 and we’re poised to soon possibly welcome the important Australian market and we certainly don’t want to jeopardise that,” Jono says.
Summer so far on the mountain has been busy with Sky Waka offering visitors great summer sightseeing and dining high atop the mountain.
“People from around the country have been enjoying summer sightseeing riding on Sky Waka up to Knoll Ridge Chalet, New Zealand’s highest restaurant with exceptional views across the central plateau,” Jono says.
The Sky Waka and lunch combo is proving popular with visitors, who are commenting that they’re impressed with the quality of food and the value.
“The buffet lunch at Knoll Ridge’s Pinnacles restaurant serves a variety of dishes, with a focus on locally sourced produce, including sirloin steak from Awhi farms, farmed in the foothills of Mt Ruapehu, and lamb and venison from nearby Waihi Pukawa farms,” he says.
“Sky Waka has opened up summer sightseeing options on the mountain since it first opened in 2019 for the winter ski season, transforming Mt Ruapehu into a year round sightseeing attraction not only for skiiers, but for everyone to enjoy.”
