Caught in the blizzard - and loving it

Brendan King tries to catch a snowflake on his tongue at Whakapapa ski field. Picture / Greg Bowker

WHAKAPAPA - Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders were stranded at the Whakapapa and Turoa skifields yesterday afternoon after a huge dump of snow blanketed Mt Ruapehu and closed roads.

At Whakapapa, the Bruce Road was closed for about three hours as snowploughs tried to clear the way.

Up to 50cm of snow fell on the two fields during the day.

But the wintry roadblock didn't dampen too many spirits. The atmosphere was jovial as many people returned to the slopes for more skiing or went to the cafe to warm up while they waited for the road to reopen.

Harsh weather in other parts of the country was not so well enjoyed.

A second day of heavy rain in the Wairarapa region pushed rivers to their limits, caused further landslips and flooded sewer systems.

The Desert Road was closed and dozens of slips closed State Highway 3 between Wanganui and Waverley and State Highway 4 between Wanganui and Raetihi.

Civil Defence emergency teams in Carterton, Masterton and South Wairarapa remained on alert last night because of concerns that continued rain would cause more slips.

At Ruapehu, parked cars were buried in snow and children made the most of the fall by building snowmen and having snow fights.

Auckland mother-of-two Louise Hartstone said the wintery road block was exciting for the children.

"A lot of people will be annoyed, but it's nature and you can't do anything about it," she said.

By 4pm, four-wheel-drives and cars, vans and buses with chains were allowed down the mountain, but it was a slow descent, taking about an hour and a half.

A record number of people have flocked to the mountain since the skifields opened on June 16.

Mt Ruapehu marketing manager Mike Smith said yesterday that it had been an exceptional first couple of weeks.

"It's been a unique experience for a lot of people to see snow falling like this."

Weather forecasts brought good news for the flood-hit Wellington and Wairarapa regions.

Although more heavy rain was was predicted for overnight, the MetService expected it to ease by this morning and turn to sunshine by the afternoon.

Local authorities were last night dealing with sewage contamination in Masterton and Carterton, where residents were advised not to flush toilets and 19 homes were supplied with portaloos.

In South Wairarapa, the Huangarua River threatened to submerge its bridge and the Ruamahanga River was only 20cm to 30cm below the riverbank limit.

Outside Martinborough, where parts of the countryside resembled a murky watery wasteland, local farmers said the flooding was the worst they had seen.

The area had about 130mm of rainfall - almost three-quarters of the expected rainfall for all of July - in the 48 hours to 6pm.

Further north in the Urewera National Park, a helicopter-led search had to wait for a break in the rain and low cloud to rescue a hunting group, including three children.

The MetService said more fronts would hit the lower South Island early next week, and showers would hover in western areas this weekend.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said it had activated the National Crisis Management Centre to monitor the situation.

ROAD INFORMATION

The Rimutaka Hill road between Wellington and the Wairarapa is still closed because of a major slip on the Featherston side, and flooding has also closed the road between Martinborough and Featherston.

Police said a slip at Horokiwi had closed one lane each way on State Highway 2 between Ngauranga Gorge and Petone.

To the west, State Highway 3 north of Wanganui, from Western Line Road to Maxwell was still closed this morning due to slips and flooding, and State Highway 56 at Opiki was expected to remain closed until midday.

State Highway 4 between Raetihi and Wanganui was also shut due to a large landslip, and detours were in place.

Transit New Zealand was urging extreme caution between Rangipo and Waiouru after snowfalls created a slippery surface.

State Highway 2 between Masterton and Eketahuna reopened just before 6am, but Transit New Zealand said delays were likely due to surface flooding.

>> Latest road information from the AA

WEEKEND FORECAST

* Showery in western and central areas of the North Island, becoming fine on Sunday.

* Showers in the west and south of the South Island, brief showers on the east coast.

* Snow on southern South Island ranges.

* All Blacks test in Christchurch on Saturday night: Possible southerly bringing showers, 5C

- additional reporting: Derek Cheng, NZPA