FLOODING

The Rest Home Bus had taken residents to see the floods so, when we were there this morning we checked which roads they had been on and set off to see for ourselves.

We went to Hikurangi and turned off at Jordan Valley Road then drove  back through Hukerenui.  When the Rest Home went on Monday the water was lapping at the road.

This isn't a lake but the Hikurangi Swampland which is usually grazed.

A few miles further on and the cows are grazing happily on higher ground with the floods in the background.

We then came across these lovely rocks with moss? covering them.

There is still a lot of rain in the ten day forecast so I can't see it going down anytime soon.  This is the swampland that drains over the falls I posted a few days ago.

More Water

When my friend, Elaine, was visiting from Queensland at the end of March we visited the Wairua Falls and it looked like this:

We visited it again today and it now looks like this:

It drains an area known as the Hikurangi Swamp which always floods in wet weather.  (It is now 4 days since the rain stopped).

The main highway north is closed due to a slip and the road that goes past this falls is now the only route north.  Although I have heard that trucks are now able to deliver supplies to the north the sign at the beginning of this road said "No trucks" so I am not quite sure what the story is.