About 80 campers trapped at Whangaruru since Sunday have finally made it home after earlier having to walk to safety over a massive slip.
By Peter De Graaf of RNZ
Jude Thompson, of the Whangaruru Residents and Ratepayers Association, said the campers were staying at the popular DOC Puriri Bay campsite when the deluge hit.
The torrential rain sent floodwaters pouring through the campground and triggered a 50-metre-wide slip across the only access road.
Thompson said many tents were flooded or swept away, and campers had to hike over the slip to safety.
From there, rescuers shuttled the campers about a kilometre to Tūparehuia Marae in Bland Bay.
"The local community were able to provide them with food, clothing and bedding. Many of them literally only had what they were standing in, so they were very happy to be looked after by the local hapū."
Since then, Thompson said DOC and its contractors had worked hard to clear the slip, and by late Monday campers were able to return to collect their vehicles and what was left of their camping gear.
"Some of their belongings have washed away and much of what they had was destroyed in the floodwaters ... So I guess they'll be looking to replace that, and maybe some of those items will appear further down the coast."
The main road south from Whangaruru was still closed due to a washout, but the campers were able to get home by heading north via Russell.
The campground at nearby Bland Bay was also affected by flooding, but more importantly by a lengthy power cut which meant the toilets couldn't be used.
Fortunately, those campers were able to stay across the road at Tūparehuia Marae.
Thompson said the local hapū, Te Uri o Hikihiki, had carried out a major upgrade after Cyclone Gabrielle, including the installation of solar power to boost resilience in future natural disasters.
Up to 100 people were staying at the marae at any one time, she said.
"The campground, which has a small but very well-supplied shop, was able to bring the kai they had over to feed everyone at the marae, because of course there was no access in or out of the community."
Thompson said the Whangaruru community was worried by the prospect of more severe weather later today and on Wednesday.
"We're highly concerned for our area with both the hillsides and the flats very sodden. Our treasured pā, Whakatūria, has already had significant slips down into Bland Bay."
She urged residents to prepare for power outages by charging up devices, storing drinking water, and readying buckets of water for toilet flushing.
Anyone who might have to evacuate to higher ground should also pack a "go bag" with warm clothes, some food, a torch, a phone and medication.
Thompson said the road had already flooded this morning just south of Punaruku, so residents between there and the washed-out bridge at Ngaiotonga were once again cut off.
She said the Northern Regional Council and the local community had done "a significant amount" of flood mitigation work, but the rivers had been overwhelmed by Sunday's torrential rain.
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