The Whakapapa skifield opened in 1953, and the following year the first chairlift was installed. It was officially opened by mountaineer Edmund Hillary, who had climbed Mt Everest in 1953. Watch this clip to see the first users of the chairlift make their way up the mountain and then descend on skis.
Using this item
Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference:
Pictorial Parade 26. National Film Unit, 1954
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