Rod Clifton uses truck to ferry multiple cars across flooded Te Horo Beach Rd on Kāpiti Coast

Rod Clifton used a truck to ferry motorists across a flooded Te Horo Beach Road. Photo / Tokerau Jim Images

Rod Clifton was more than happy to assist motorists when part of Te Horo Beach Rd was closed because of flooding.

Rod, 76, estimated he ferried between 30 to 50 vehicles across the section of road slightly west of Pukenamu Rd, which is a short distance from the Te Horo Beach settlement on the Kāpiti Coast where about 350 people live.

Heavy rain hammered the coast on Monday and Tuesday causing all sorts of problems, including cutting off the settlement.

Motorists drove on to the flat deck of Rod's Mitsubishi Fighter track, via ramps, before he ferried them across the waterlogged road.

Rod Clifton helps another stranded motorist. Photo / Tokerau Jim Images

The action started on Monday about 7pm when a woman got her Mazda car stuck in the flooding.

"I towed that out, no problem," said Rod.

Later that night, when he was tucked up in bed, the phone rang.

It was a local farmer who had got stuck in the Mangaone Stream with water over his four-wheel drive's bonnet.

"That took a couple of hours and I got home about 12.30am."

On Tuesday morning one of his company's clients rang saying he couldn't get to work because the road had flooded but could Rod help.

Rod Clifton. Photo / Tokerau Jim Images

"I said, 'Yeah, should be able to,' so I went with the truck and helped him.

"By that time the grapevine must have started talking and the vehicles were queued up.

"So instead of just doing one job, I was there for four hours or more.

"I didn't get back to work until about 11.30am and then of course I got a phone call in the afternoon saying, 'Rod, are you going to be down there this afternoon to take me home?' So I ended up doing more."

Motorists were in safe hands with Rod, who works at Rod Clifton Motors, in Te Horo, which specialises in three areas – workshop, transport [around the lower North Island] and rentals.

"I would say I'm the longest-running tow truck firm on the coast under one owner."

Rod Clifton navigates part of Te Horo Beach Rd. Photo / Tokerau Jim Images

And he was happy to help out.

"A smile on their face is worth more than gold.

"I've received a couple of bottles of wine and so forth as a thank you but for me it's all about helping people."

Rod, who has lived in Te Horo all his life, has seen flooding lots of times before.

"We know what happens here with water and it hasn't happened for quite a few years.

"It's not global warming, I'm gonna tell you, it's just nature.

"There's nothing permanent you can do about it in my opinion.

"The Mangaone Stream, at the mouth, gets blocked up a bit with the sea.

Another motorist is ferried along the road. Photo / Tokerau Jim Images

"You can't expect the regional council or diggers down to clear it out every time there's a spring or rough tide.

"People go on about the regional council not cleaning it but you can't be there every week cleaning it out.

"And you get floods at this time of the year too – it's not just a winter thing."

He said the area where he helped motorists was nicknamed Flagon Corner.

"There used to be a right angle there with a wooden bridge.

"The guys would come home from the pub with a flagon and instead of going over the bridge they would go into the drink."