The big chill continues

Brace yourselves - there's more cold, rain and snow where that came from. But it should hold off until after the long weekend.

The foul start to Queen's Birthday Weekend caused havoc across the country, leaving roads impassable.

Two smashes yesterday left six people injured - one in Waitomo and the other involving five cars outside Dunedin. They followed a fatal accident at Tirau, near Hamilton on Friday afternoon. Travel in the central North Island and in high country South Island was treacherous throughout the day, and police advise motorists to exercise extreme caution today and tomorrow.

The bad weather failed to deter many from their travels, including more than 130 people who were rescued by the army after being stranded by snow in Waiouru.

They were rounded up and bedded down at the army marae and in barracks in the Waiouru army camp.

"Why do they keep travelling when they know the weather is atrocious?"

Major Denise Milner said after the motorists had left.

She said the army went out into the cold - temperatures dropped to -6C - to find motorists trapped in their cars, and offered accommodation. Police in the town also rescued drivers.

Though some opted to spend the night in their cars, most went to the base.

Cynthia Taputoro, a worker at the Caltex service station, said when dawn came cars were lined up down the road, but quickly cleared after morning rain washed away snow.

Camping grounds around Coromandel and in Northland reported typical Queen's Birthday Weekend numbers, although there were few campers.

The few in tents were surfers or hardy tourists.

The Auckland to Suva yacht race departed, giving the boats the winds they needed, although promising sailors a bumpy ride. The MetService's "Weather Ambassador" Bob McDavitt said the worst of the weather was over. Two minor rough patches were expected to hit - in the south today and north tomorrow - and a fresh bout of bad weather was expected on Tuesday from the south.

- Herald on Sunday