Because it is a "special purpose road" - one that mainly serves tourists - the NZ Transport Agency funds the council for repairs and maintenance.
"It has a high tourism value and the majority of traffic is from outside the region," said Mr Allingham. The road leads to seal colonies and the Cape Palliser lighthouse, one of Wairarapa's most popular attractions.
Ngawi resident Ruth Hathaway said even though cars could not get past Kupe's Sail plenty of people had been going to take a look at a new attraction - the cave-like hole in the road.
"It is a massive hole," she said. "The road just fell into the sea."
Mrs Hathaway said Ngawi residents were not badly affected and had escaped most of the effects of the storm.
The golf course had taken a hit but not the houses, she said.
"There won't be any sightseers going to see the seals."
Last year, the road had work done on it to the tune of $412,964, which included the cost of erosion control.
SWDC is seeking urgent resource consent to repair the road and is planning to build a retaining wall.
The road at Te Kopi was closed last Friday and Saturday due to high seas and wave debris but has since been reopened.
Cape Palliser lighthouse was voted No8 in Lonely Planet's "Top 10 flashest lighthouses" in the world.
