Ohakune, in the Ruapehu District, is the town at the southern gateway to the Tongariro National Park World Heritage Site, at the foot of Mt Ruapehu. It is known as the aprés ski capital of the North Island, the Carrot Capital of New Zealand, a forestry centre, a farming centre, and home to around 1400 people. It is a pleasant country town in summer - attractive as a base for numerous outdoor activities - and a lively snow sports centre in winter, being at the base of the Ohakune Mountain Road which provides access to Turoa Ski Area on the southern slopes of Mt Ruapehu.

It has been settled since around the 1600's, first by the Ngati Rangi (Sky People) and Ngati Uenuku (Rainbow People) sub-tribes. Later, railway surveyors arrived looking for a way through the Central North Island. Once the area was opened up, sawmillers arrived, Chinese market gardeners and then farmers.

In the 1950's and 60's, the can-do spirit of the Ohakune people came to the fore as they built the Ohakune Mountain Road , providing access to the southern slopes of Mt Ruapehu and Turoa. This spirit continued later with the efforts to attract a commercial operator of the ski fields of Turoa.

Through its history, Ohakune has attracted all kinds of people willing to work hard to create a 'new world' in the southern Ruapehu Disitrct and this has led to a vibrant, diverse people in a town that provides the opportunity for a wide variety of experiences for visitors too.

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