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Voykit pocket guide · New Zealand
Ohakune
Stay 1 night in winter if you ski Tūroa, 1–2 nights in summer for Tongariro walks; skip it if you only want the Alpine Crossing — base at National Park Village.
Ohakune is a small Ruapehu-district town at the foot of Mount Ruapehu and the North Island's ski base, 20 minutes from the Tūroa ski field. Winter is the busy season; summer is quieter and better for hiking, mountain biking and the Ohakune Mountain Road. The town splits into the upper Junction by the railway station and the larger lower town with shops and the i-SITE.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Best months
- Jul–Sep for skiing; Dec–Mar for hiking and biking
- Avoid
- Apr–Jun and Oct–Nov (between seasons, some businesses closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NZD
- Money
- Currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD, NZ$). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere; some small rural stalls and honesty boxes are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget NZ$80–130 excl. bed · Mid NZ$130–220 excl. bed · High NZ$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- One NZ, Spark and 2degrees sell tourist SIMs at Auckland and Christchurch arrivals and in supermarkets; passport not required.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 111 · Non-urgent police 105 · Traffic *555
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same angled two- or three-pin plug as Australia, Fiji and China; switch the socket on at the wall.
- Tipping
- Café or restaurant: Nothing expected; 10% for very good service at dinner is a bonus.; Taxi / Uber: Nothing; round up if you like.; Guide or tour: Optional NZ$10–20 for a day guide.; Hotel: Nothing.; Public holidays: Cafés may add a 10–15% holiday surcharge to the bill; it is legal and shown on menus.
- Water
- Tap water is safe almost everywhere; follow boil-water notices in small rural schemes. Treat stream water in the backcountry.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in every town and at most lookouts; DOC long-drops on tracks. Carry paper; never use the roadside.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | NZ$5–7 |
| Pub main | NZ$25–38 |
| Chocolate eclair | NZ$4 |
| Supermarket groceries, one person for a day | NZ$20–35 |
| National Army Museum entry, Waiouru | NZ$15 |
| Petrol, per litre | NZ$2.50–3.00 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AKL · Auckland Airport
- About 4.5 h drive south via SH1 and SH49; no direct rail link to Ohakune.
- WLG · Wellington Airport
- About 3.5 h drive north via SH1 and SH49.
Typical fares
- Tongariro Crossing shuttle, return
- about NZ$70 per person
- Mountain bike rental, one day
- NZ$50–60
- Northern Explorer, Auckland or Wellington to Ohakune
- three trains a week; book ahead (check)
Get around
The two halves of town are about a 45-minute walk apart, or shorter via the riverside walkway and its swing bridge. In winter a shuttle bus runs roughly every half hour until the bars close, plus taxis and car services — ask at your lodge. A car makes Tūroa, Whakapapa and the national park far easier.
See and do
Known for
- Tūroa ski field access
- The World's Largest Carrot
- Tongariro National Park walks
- Ohakune Mountain Road
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tūroa ski field | Self-drive up Ohakune Mountain Road, or winter shuttle from town | About 20–30 min |
| Whakapapa ski field | Drive via SH48, or winter shuttle | About 45 min |
| Tongariro Alpine Crossing | Shuttle from Ohakune (Dempsey Buses in the off season) or from National Park Village | 1–1.5 h to trailhead |
| National Park Village | Drive via SH49 and SH47, or train | About 30 min |
| Raetihi | Drive via SH49 | About 15 min |
| Turangi | Drive via SH47 and SH1 | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Junction (upper town)
- Around the railway station on Thames St; lodges, cafés and the closest point to Tongariro National Park. Best for train arrivals and skiers.
- Lower town (Clyde St and Goldfinch St)
- Shops, restaurants, the i-SITE and the riverside park; about a 45-minute walk from the Junction.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Kia ora | Kia orakee-oh-rah |
| Thank you | Thank you— |
| Where is the i-SITE? | Where is the i-SITE?— |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Kia ora or a handshake; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; overlong small talk before business
- Marae visit: Wait to be called on, follow your guide through the pōwhiri, remove shoes before the meeting house; avoid: Eating or drinking inside the wharenui; walking in front of speakers
- Tables and heads: Keep bottoms off tables and hats off tables; food stays away from heads; avoid: Sitting on tables or kitchen benches; touching people's heads
- Roads: Pull over at slow-vehicle bays to let queues pass; wave thanks; avoid: Stopping on the road for photos; drifting right after a stop
- Outdoors: Carry out all rubbish; use toilets; stick to tracks; avoid: Feeding kea and other birds; toileting outside
- Talk: Self-deprecating humour and understatement; avoid: Calling New Zealanders Australians; boasting
- Home visit: Bring wine or something to share; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving empty-handed to a 'bring a plate' event
- Names: Use Māori place names and pronounce them with care; avoid: Joking about Māori words or haka
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter roads to Tūroa and Whakapapa can need chains; check conditions before driving up.
- The supermarket is the only one in town and runs low in peak season.
- One-lane bridges and twisty SH4 from Whanganui; keep left.
- Some cafés and lodges close between ski and summer seasons.
Ohakune is a small, safe town; the real risks are alpine weather, winter driving on the mountain road and unprepared hiking on Tongariro.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ohakune yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tūroa ski field access
- The World's Largest Carrot
- Tongariro National Park walks
- Ohakune Mountain Road
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Ohakune: www.visitohakune.co.nz/
- Great Journeys of NZ — Northern Explorer: www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/northern-explorer/
- InterCity: www.intercity.co.nz/
- Wikivoyage: Ohakune, revision 5259451 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5259451
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ohakune
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Ohakune; nearest consulates and embassies are in Wellington or Auckland.
Carry chains in winter and check the mountain road status before driving up.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ohakune). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.