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Town in Manawatū-Whanganui, New Zealand
Photo: Stagking, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
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.
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Ohakune Carrot Adventure Park
A 7.5-m-tall model carrot, originally used in an advert for a bank, then donated to Ohakune in 1984.
A small volunteer run exhibition, with a slightly random collection of railway equipment and a display on the Tangiwai Disaster (a nearby railway bridge collapsed in 1953 killing 151).
This 17 km road offers an exhilarating downhill ride with a descent of about 1000 meters and you can enjoy wonderful landscape views of Mount Ruapehu. It is a quite country road and most sections have around 1m–1.5m wide shoulders. You just need some experience with traffic and remember to keep left if you normally drive at the right side of the road in your country. You can catch a shuttle to the Turoa Skifield to start your riding and it will normally finish in 1 hours. If you choose to ride from Ohakune and return back from the top, then it will take about 3 hours and climbing 1000 meters does require some fitness. If that is beyond your fitness level, you can choose to walk in some parts of the route (which requires more time) or use an e-bike. There are also some forest & waterfall walks on the route.
Don't be fooled by the Mediterranean name, this perennially packed family favorite serves up meaty mains. Fireplace & kids' play area.
This friendly Filipino bakery is best known for its eponymous eclairs, although Parisian patissiers would hardly recognize these cream-filled puffs slathered with chocolate cake frosting. Try the custard square for something less teeth-shatteringly sweet.
Memorably described as the place where the party in Ohakune both begins and ends, this wood-paneled joint has a roaring fireplace, a vast selection of drinks and apres-ski vibes.
46-bed hostel in a building built in 1906.
2/3-bedroom self-catering cabins right off SH49, about 500m from town. Not luxurious, but clean, comfortable and well-equipped with private cooking, laundry and ski drying facilities, plus you get access to communal hot tubs and a tiny sauna.
Ohakune's only supermarket is well equipped, but gets packed in peak season and can run low on items.
You can rent mountain bikes and ski boards here. They also sell outdoor gears for hiking.
You can rent mountain bikes here. A helmet and basic repair kits are included. The price is slightly cheaper than TCB, e.g. renting a mountain bike for adult for one day costs 50 NZD, while at TCB it will cost 60 NZD (but the price is 50 NZD per day if you rent multiple days at TCB).
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
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.
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Wanganui · Regional · WAG
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