Slip forces holidaymakers to detour

Road workers clean up a major slip blocking the road just north of Waiomu on the road north of Thames in the Coromandel. Photo / Christine Cornege

Some Aucklanders holidaying in the Coromandel faced a long drive home yesterday because a slip blocking part of State Highway 25 is unlikely to be cleared until today.

Tropical cyclone Wilma caused two months of rain to fall in 12 hours in Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Waikato over the weekend, bringing widespread flooding, slips and power cuts.

One large slip and several smaller ones trapped residents and holidaymakers in the Coromandel settlements of Tapu and Temata, about 20km northwest of Thames, on Saturday morning.

Contractors broke through the smaller slips on Sunday afternoon, but a massive slip of more than 3000 cubic metres was still blocking State Highway 25 at Ruamahanga Bay yesterday.

The slip had forced the evacuation of a house in its path, and was still on the move.

Contractors were working to clear the slip but its size and nature meant it could take up to two days to clear, said Transport Agency state highway network operations manager Trevor Fearnley.

"The slip at Ruamahanga Bay is a particular concern due to its extent and the possibility of further landslide," he said.

"We are asking motorists and the general public to stay away from this area for safety reasons as there are a large number of trucks using the road carting material away from the site and there is still a risk from falling debris or further landslide."

Holidaymakers who planned to return home via SH25 along the west coast instead had to use the east coast route, adding to journey times.

- NZPA