Waikato Ski Club Lodge information for visitors

Important Contact Numbers:

Thank you for your booking at the Waikato Ski Club Lodge.  Enclosed is some information about our Ski Club Lodge that I hope will help you enjoy your stay with us.

The Waikato Ski Club Lodge is a self-contained facility that offers club accommodation for members and guests. 

What to expect:

You will enjoy being part of a club atmosphere and meeting people with similar interests to yourselves.   The lounge has a log fire and warm couches to meet and mingle.  Take some pre dinner snacks and some beverages and settle in for a warm and pleasant evening.

The kitchen has a lot of different cooking options and dinner is self catered.  A cooked breakfast is provided for everyone staying at the Lodge.  Tea, coffee, milo, sugar and powered milk are also provided - feel free to help yourself.

You can move into the kitchen at any time to organise and cook your food.  Please leave it clean and tidy after you have used it. 

Bunkrooms provide shared, yet quite private accommodation.  Please be considerate of other people if you are heading to bed late. 

Free WiFi is also available for checking your email and weather reports.

Everyone who stays is expected to help with keeping areas clean and tidy for guests to enjoy.

What to take:

You will need to take all of your own bedding except a pillow.  So put in a sleeping bag or sheets and a duvet.  There are a choice of single and double beds.  Pillows are provided, but you will need to take a pillowcase.

While the Lodge is warm, it is important to take clothing appropriate to the variable conditions on the mountain – wet weather coat and pants, gloves and a hat.  It is easy to get sunburnt on snow due to the reflection of the sun, so sunglasses and suntan lotion are a must.  Pack a pair of slippers for the Lodge if you have room.

A backpack to carry all your gear up to the Lodge would make your walk much easier.

Getting to the Waikato Ski Club Lodge:

If you want to double check the weather forecast, phone the whakapapa snow phone on 083-222-182 or check the website for snow report: www.mtruapehu.com/report_snow.asp  This will tell you what to expect weather wise.

Drive up the Bruce Road to the “Top of the Bruce” at the Whakapapa Skifield.   While the altitude is 1600 m, the road is kept in good condition and is generally clear of snow.  A sign at the bottom will inform you of the current road conditions and whether you are required to fit chains.  While not often needed, it is always a good idea to carry snow chains with you.

Overnight parking at the Top of the Bruce is in designated car-parks.  It is worth noting that the central carparks are NOT for overnight parking.

Walking up to the Lodge generally takes about 15 minutes.  The route is quite sheltered and you pass a number of other lodges on the way up.  If difficulties do arise, call in and ask if you can phone our Lodge and someone will come down to help or guide you, phone 07-892-3821.  For new members who haven't stayed at the Lodge before and feel they will need assistance, please phone the Lodge when you drive past the Chateau.  This will give someone time to get ready and walk down to meet you.

Refer to the route map at the end of this document for directions to the Waikato Ski Lodge.  If unsure, please contact the hut for assistance or ask the Booking Officer to arrange for someone to meet you at the carpark when you arrive.

Arriving at the Waikato Ski Lodge:

In the case of an emergency phone Hut Custodians 021974666 or Lodge 07-892-3821.

The best way into the Lodge is by the back door which is on the uphill side of the Lodge.  It is always left unlocked.

Once inside, proceed through the ski storage area into the boot locker room.  Please remove your boots here.  Any wet clothes can be hung up in the drying room, which is located in the room next door.

There are three bunk-rooms downstairs with a mixture of double and single bunks to choose from.  Each bunk space is numbered and has an accompanying gear locker of the same number.   We generally do not allocate bunks, so claim a bunk by putting gear onto the bed and write your name on the whiteboard located on the bunkroom door. 

Now it’s time to go upstairs and enjoy the company of other members.  Food can be taken upstairs to be stored in the pantry off the kitchen.  Plastic clear boxes with pink lids are available for storing your food and there is a pantry located off the kitchen.   If you are placing food items in the fridge or freezer, ensure that your name is written on it.   Please make yourself at home.

Introduce yourself to the custodian and any other guests.  There is a visitor’s book on the shelf in the hall opposite the Boot Locker Room door. It is important that you complete this for all people with you. This is required for fire safety and evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.

During your stay:

The custodian will have a printed list of the weekend jobs posted up on the notice board beside the kitchen.  Please look to see what duty you have been allocated.  If unclear, please ask.

Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with our fire safety procedures and where to go in the event of an evacuation.

For group bookings use a duty roster to allocate tasks to your group members.

• Keep the hut clean and tidy for all guests, especially in the kitchen.
• Recycling bins are provided in the kitchen.  Please put your rubbish in the correct bin.
• Regularly remove dry items from the drying room to reduce fire risk.
• Be conservative with water use – we have a rain-water tank only.  Showers are limited to once a day per person and limited to 3 minutes.
• Be respectful of others' right to sleep, read etc.  Curtains are attached to all bunks for additional privacy.

Waikato Lodge has broadband internet facilities, but no public computer.  Guests are welcome to take and use their own laptop computer.  We have limited data capacity so the free WiFi is for browsing rather than the downloading of material. Any abuse of internet use will be dealt with by the Waikato Ski Club Committee.

When you leave:

Please ensure that you have done your allocated duty. 

If you are part of a large group, please ensure that the Lodge is clean and tidy for the next group.  This means that the Lodge must be vacuumed, and the kitchen and bathrooms must be left clean and tidy.  All rubbish needs to be taken down to the Recycling Centre at the Top of the Bruce and placed in the correct bin.  Any remaining food belonging to your group should be taken away.

If you have any further enquires regarding the Lodge or membership to the Waikato Ski Club, please contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We hope that your stay on the mountain was enjoyable and we look forward to seeing you again!  The club welcomes new members.