The 1st AGM of the Rotorua Tramping Club (reconstituted after going into recess during the war) was held on the 16th June 1952. Initially the Club had a Hut on the shores of Lake Tarawera at Hot Water Beach. As this was frequently vandalised (sounds familiar today!) the hut was eventually destroyed in the 1960s.
In the meantime, tramping club members became enthusiastic about the new sport of skiing and at an extraordinary General Meeting on the 29th June 1954 a new constitution was adopted and the club became known as the “ Rotorua Tramping and Skiing Club”. At the same meeting, authority was given to raise £800 and build a Hut on Mt Ruapehu. The 1 st workparty on the mountain was in December that year and many club members voluntarily helped build the Hut. 32 workparties later the “Hut” was officially opened on Saturday the 2nd July 1955 .
In the words of a founding member, Andy Burnett:
"Yes, they were good old days and I remember those young flappers carrying most of the timber up the track for the big boys to erect the Hut. There were no choppers in those days, just lump it up girls, together with the ‘acquired’ metal for the foundations kindly supplied by RAL with the help of some bottles of the brown frothy stuff. So it was with great aplomb the Hut was opened – what a marvelous occasion that was after the super-human efforts by all concerned."
During this first year of skiing the club membership rose from 12 to 110 and today is still going strong with a membership of around 300.
The ‘Hut’ is now known as the “Lodge” following several major extensions, not the least of which was the introduction of an inside ‘Loo’. The Lodge now boasts 32 bunks, a large open plan dining and lounge area, a very modern kitchen (as well as hot showers and five toilets).
In 1979 the Club further invested in 2 sections in National Park with the view to developing another Lodge type building there. After much planning and objections the club finally built two Chalets on each of the sections. This has turned out to be the best use for this location and they are a good base for both skiing and tramping trips, as well as great for mountain biking.