Quick action averts disaster

Terry Hooper, right, was able to meet the man who he says saved his life, Kyle King. Photo / John Stone

On Wednesday he hailed him as a mystery hero. Yesterday Terry Hooper from Kamo met the man who he credits with saving his life, after diverting a car he was in around a massive slip on State Highway 1 on Sunday.

Mr Hooper was in a vehicle heading northbound on SH1 in the Brynderwyn Hills at around 1pm on Sunday when he and his friends noticed a man standing under an umbrella, waving down traffic. Seconds later they noticed the 20m long slip on the northbound lane on the south side of the hill, about 8m deep.

"If that man hadn't been there, I don't think we would be here. He certainly saved lives," Mr Hooper told the Northern Advocate on Wednesday, when he was appealing for the identity of the mystery hero.

Only hours after the story was published, readers contacted the Advocate to say it was Whangarei local Kyle King.

But the father-of-two was very much the reluctant hero. "I'm feeling a little flummoxed. I think anyone would have done it," he said.

"The guys that drive ambulances and [the likes of] NEST (Northland Emergency Services Trust) - they are the real heroes. "

Mr King, his wife Rachel and their two children Kieran and Nia were heading home to Whangarei on Sunday after to a trip to Orewa to visit his parents.

"We came around the left hand corner and saw the big hole in the ground. I looked at my wife and said, 'we've got to turn around'."

When he did he got out of his vehicle and stood in the rain signalling vehicles to slow down.

Mrs King and the children remained in the car and called *555.

Roadside management vehicles arrived 20 minutes later to start closing the highway and diverting traffic.

"I was just really happy that by the time we'd turned around and come back there wasn't anyone down there," Mr King said. "If it was night-time, it would have been a disaster."

Watch: SH1 Brynderwyn Hills almost fixed

Contractors work flat out to clear slip

Contractors working around the clock, including tar sealing last night, should see State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns reopened today after a massive underslip closed the road last Sunday.

The NZ Transport Agency says it is on track to reopen SH1 on the Brynderwyn Hills to both lanes of traffic today, barring any major disruptions overnight.

"We've made great progress and the work to stabilise the underslip is now complete. If Mother Nature co-operates we'll be able to carry out pavement works overnight and tomorrow apply lane markings, and clean the site up to be ready for traffic in the afternoon," NZTA Regional Journey Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult said late yesterday.

"Again we would like to take this opportunity to thank people for their ongoing patience ... We know how painful these road closures can be, and our contractors have gone flat out to repair this small but complex slip as quickly as possible."

Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai thanked NZTA and its contractors for their considerable efforts to get the road open again so quickly. "They are working long hours in difficult conditions ... Ms Mai said.

Until the highway reopens, people driving north are advised to use SH12 and Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd. Those heading south can travel through Waipu and Mangawhai. The detours will add between 30 and 40 minutes to travel times.