Summer's cruel farewell

By ANNE BESTON and ALAN PERROTT

Summer stormed out with a bang yesterday, as heavy rain flooded the central North Island town of Turangi, forcing around 100 people from their homes and putting residents in already flood-stricken areas on standby for evacuation.

Last night two Whakatane surfers missing near Te Kaha were feared dead after an aircraft search for them had to be called off because of the bad weather.

Three rain-swollen rivers in the lower North Island, the Rangitikei, Whanganui and Manawatu, were also causing concern. Defence staff at Waiouru were on standby to help with any further evacuations.

The last official day of summer marked the end of a miserable month for the whole country and one of the worst Februaries meteorologists can remember.

MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt predicted a brief respite, but said it was not expected to last.

Another low pressure system is moving across from the Tasman Sea and should be over the North Island by tomorrow. The only good news is that March is expected to be finer overall.

The Tongariro River burst its banks in the early hours yesterday, forcing residents from 50 Turangi homes, most of which are expected to have significant flood damage.

About 12km north of Turangi at Oroutua, beside the Tauranga-Taupo River, 15 houses were abandoned.

Te Ngaehe Wanikau and his wife, Hinemoa, had just minutes to get out of their Turangi home when rescuers banged on their door at 2am.

"We are not even that near the river, but all we could hear in the blackness was this roar [of the Tongariro] about 1km away," said Mr Wanikau. "My wife said she had never been so scared in her life."

Marion Morrice, co-owner of the riverside Tongariro Bridge Lodge, did not even hear the warning siren above the sound of the river.

"It was just a thunderous roar coming through. I've never heard anything as bad as that in my life and it was too dark to see anything. You feel very vulnerable, I can tell you."

Further upstream, Bruce Wilde tested the river's advance by plunging a stake into the bank several metres above the rushing flow to track the river's rise.

"The water reached it in 10 minutes, so I said 'Right it's time to go.' We took off home and grabbed everything we could lay our hands on, threw it in the car and went to the St John's Hall."

Other Turangi residents reported water rising above their window sills with furniture floating in the streets.

When the Herald visited yesterday the power of the torrent was clear. Wide swathes of riverbank had been gouged out, leaving hundreds of smashed trees.

Search and Rescue said the Tongariro peaked at more than 1000 cubic metres per second, when it normally runs at 16 cubic metres a second.

Bridges were washed out and 13 roads around the North Island were closed, including SH1 between Taupo and Turangi.

The Rangitikei River was yesterday dangerously high and weary Manawatu and Wanganui residents again faced the prospect of evacuation, particularly in Tangimoana and Scott's Ferry.

Horizons District Council again opened the floodgates on the Manawatu River and a civil defence team was on standby.

Minister of Defence and Taupo MP Mark Burton visited Turangi and said infrastructure and roading damage would be assessed.

Lake Taupo was at a 100-year high and the Taupo trout hatchery was badly hit, most fish being washed out of their pens and down the river.

Northland appeared to escape the impact of the remnants of tropical Cyclone Ivy, but heavy rain closed SH1 yesterday afternoon just south of Kaitaia.

And eight people from a yacht remained stranded on Motukawanui Island in the Cavalli group, off Matauri Bay, after Cyclone Ivy passed. They are sheltering in a Department of Conservation hut.

In Auckland, four boats sank and thousands of homes were without power after heavy rain and winds.

A spokesman for the Auckland Regional Council's maritime department said three boats broke their moorings in winds of up to 40 knots and went down off the Tamaki Drive seawall in Hobson Bay. A fourth boat sank in Okahu Bay.

Police reported surface flooding in Waikanae, on the Kapiti Coast; Hastings; and on State Highway 2 through the Hutt Valley.

The driver of a car swept away by a swollen Waikato River near Meremere escaped unhurt.

The storm at a glance

* About 100 people were evacuated from Turangi homes.

* Tongariro River burst its banks.

* Two Whakatane surfers went missing in the water at Omaio Bay.

* Bridges were washed out. Thirteen roads were closed, including SH1 from Taupo to Turangi.

* In the lower North Island, the Rangitikei, Whanganui and Manawatu rivers were causing concern last night.

* Lake Taupo was at a 100-year high with the Tongariro trout hatchery badly hit, most fish being washed out of their pen.

* In Auckland, four boats sank and thousands of homes lost power.

- Additional reporting: Bridget Carter, Tony Gee, Rosaleen Macbrayne, Bernard Orsman, NZPA.