Sightseers are posing a major problem in the clean-up after the record-breaking floods in Wanganui.
Wanganui District Council infrastructure manager Mark Hughes said many sightseers were ignoring "road closed" signs and getting themselves into trouble.
"We just don't have the time to pull these people out when they get stuck."
He said some motorists had driven up the Whanganui River Rd, straight through road-closed signs, only to find they could get no further than halfway up the Gentle Annie hill.
It was when they tried to turn around that they were getting into difficulties.
He told the emergency service debrief yesterday that farmers in the area particularly "are getting pissed off" with people calling on their homes and asking them for a tractor to pull their cars out.
He said people were simply ignoring signs.
" ... we've got signs upon signs, but they still drive on through."
Latest estimates were that it would be about six weeks before sections of the River Rd were open and then only to four-wheel-drive and emergency services.
It had been 10 days since the weather bomb but there were no problems with drinking water, and most of the wastewater pumps were operational.
As the clean-up of the remaining silt continued, some of it was washed into the city's stormwater pipes "and we're digging that out as we go".
Yesterday contractors moved heavy machinery on to the northern end of Kowhai Park to start clearing the tonnes of silt.
"We'll be there for quite a few days."
The good news for rural residents was that 400km of rural roads had been reopened since the weekend of June 20-21.
"We lost access to about 80 per cent of our rural roads that weekend but now we've got about 85 per cent of them restored," Mr Hughes said.
For some, it was a marginal reopening with access still restricted to four-wheel-drive vehicles.
The roads remained extremely dangerous and slips were continuing.
"Any rain and wind is affecting the work that has already been done," he said.
Helicopter flights had eased a little but they would continue as food supplies and medical relief were flown into isolated rural areas.
Red Cross workers continued with their door-knocking at the weekend, visiting rural areas including Mangamahu and Kai Iwi.
A spokesperson said there were some "vulnerable folk" who, while not badly affected by the floods, were still a little bewildered by the events.
From today the organisation would wind down in the district.
At the weekend, volunteers visited flood-affected Anzac Parade homes, removing the likes of rotting food.