A strange geyser burst into a shop in central Whangarei, spewing hundreds of litres of high pressure water into the air, leaving the store with a broken window, water damaged floor and a soggy tale to tell customers.
A burst pipe outside the Forhomes Outlet store about 4.45pm on Monday "looked like a bloody shambles" but the fallout wasn't as dramatic as the photos of the ensuing "water spout" may indicate, the store manager said.
![A contractor fixes the burst pipe that sent a geyser of water into a Whangarei shop.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/JMFE5372NRW2UIVPH6ECXOHEHY.jpg?auth=b7bac102bab3fc11e98df4ab9d8ef302f1e996d60d9df5910c0a4b2524262257&width=16&height=12&quality=70&smart=true)
The manager, who did not want to be named, said he was just getting ready to shut the shop up on Monday when he heard a noise and looked outside the front door on to James St.
A burst pipe shot a plume of high pressure water into the awning outside the shop and sent water flowing through the front of the store while also cracking a window pane, he said.