Road to cape lighthouse reopens

Cape Palliser Rd has reopened after being closed for two weeks while roadworks were carried out at Kupe's Sail. PHOTO/ROSEMARY RAYNER

The Cape Palliser Rd is open again after a two-week road closure at Kupe's Sail and $60,000 worth of repairs.

Roadworks were carried out on a section of road that washed away from high sea and storm damage over winter.

It reopened on Wednesday giving residents and tourists car access to the baches, the seal colony and Cape Palliser lighthouse, further around the coast.

South Wairarapa District Council infrastructure and services manager Mark Allingham said the cost of repairs had been $60,000, which included the design work.

"The method was to drill into the hard rock cliff, put steel tie-backs for reinforcing and pour concrete to go with the reinforcing steel."

The works had been carried out by Higgins Masterton and consultants Calibre Masterton, and the road had opened three days ahead of schedule.

"Council is aware of the iconic nature of the lighthouse, tourists, and the local use of the baches so are pleased the work was able to be completed under time."

Mr Allingham said earlier repairs had been carried out last year at the same site.

"Council is hoping that the section has no further issues as it's a tight section of the road with no other access options."

Further works were required on the Whatarangi Cliffs where the road was down to one lane after heavy rain washed out a section of the road in September.

This section was in its design stage and work was expected to start after Christmas to avoid tourist traffic, Mr Allingham said.

Works were expected to be finished by April.

"With a very different soil composition the site will need a different solution to the Kupe's Sail site."

Cape Palliser Rd had been designated a "special purposes" road many years ago when surveys confirmed it mainly served tourists.

This meant the repair costs were met by New Zealand Transport Agency and not SWDC.

Mr Allingham said SWDC was working with NZTA on a long-term solution for the vulnerable stretch of road.

"We have reviewed all the documents for the last 10 years or so and we have done a 15-year cost analysis."

He said the "special purpose" status was being phased out over the next three years.

"But there may be other ways to get funding for specific sections of the road."

South Wairarapa district councillor Brian Jephson said although the road at Kupe's Sail had been passable after the storm that damaged it in June, it had to be closed for the repairs to be carried out.

"It was unsafe to have it open while they were working there."

Mr Jephson, a Cape Palliser resident, said it was good the patch of road had been fixed but "who knows what mother nature's going to bring" in the future.

"At the end of the day a lot of people were put out but long term they would have gained.

"We're coming into the busy season with a lot more people coming out here over Christmas so it had to be fixed."

Mr Jephson said that he understood no permanent residents lived beyond Kupe's Sail.

"They're all holiday baches around there."