Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand – Thursday’s southerly front painted a sugar icing-like coating on the upper ski slopes of New Zealand’s Mt. Ruapehu, a sure sign that the Southern Hemisphere winter is not far away.nMt. Ruapehu is home to two ski areas, Turoa and Whakapapa. Turoa is scheduled to open on June 19th and work is progressing well at Whakapapa rebuilding the Knoll Ridge Chalet and Cat Shed, both destroyed by arson in February 2009. Whakapapa is scheduled to open June 26th.