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Source: ONE News -
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New state-of-the-art buildings are rising from the ashes of fires which caused millions of dollars worth of damage on Mt Ruapehu last year.
The fires, believed to have been arson, have sparked a new beginning for structures on the mountain's upper slopes.
The new Knoll Ridge cafe is now starting to take shape, and at 2000 metres up the mountain will be the largest high alpine structure in the country.
"This is getting to be the enjoyable part of it," says Dave Mazey from Ruapehu Alpine Lifts.
But there was little joy for the skifield operators on Valentine's Day last year.
Arsonists are believed to have set fire to the old cafe and the top terminal of the waterfall express chairlift. The workshop housing the snow grooming machinery was also burnt to the ground.
The chairlift terminal was saved, but damage totalled more than $10 million.
Although police have their suspicions about who started the fires, no one has ever been arrested for the arson.
But out of a disaster will now come a new state of the art alpine complex.
"We've taken an opportunity to construct a facility that better meets the needs of customers in 2010 and meets those more sensitive ecological, environmental and cultural issues," says Mazey.
The Knoll Ridge cafe is being built on a new site slightly below the old one.
It will seat 400 people on a single level, whereas the cafe that was burnt had three levels.
"What's being built is going to fit really well within the landscape and have a really small visual impact for visitors in the summer," says Barry Strong, Conservation Department, Mt Ruapehu.
The Whakapapa ski season is planned to open in mid June and a few weeks later the new Knoll Ridge complex will be open for business.
