The large slip that appeared on Mt Aubrey yesterday, at Whangarei Heads, after this week's heavy rain. Photo / John Stone
The large slip that appeared on Mt Aubrey yesterday, at Whangarei Heads, after this week's heavy rain. Photo / John Stone
The recent heavy rainfall has been no laughing matter around Whangarei but it hasn't stopped Mt Aubrey splitting its sides.
A huge scar now marks the south flank about a third of the way down the Whangarei Heads peak following a slip that saw boulders the size of small carsslide downhill yesterday.
The latest slice of cliff face tore downward through the forest about 300 metres south-east of where a 1000-tonne pillar toppled three years ago. It came to a halt well away from any buildings and posed no danger to private property.
Nearby resident Ken Nelson was at home when he heard - rather than felt - the earth move at about 9.15am yesterday.
"The noise was like a jumbo jet landing, when the engine goes into reverse thrust," Mr Nelson said.
Immediately after the thunderous rumble, all the birds in the area made a huge ruckus, he said. He looked outside and saw a bare cliff in what had been a densely forested steep hill only moments earlier. The boulders that had come down with tonnes of waterlogged earth were "as big as cars", Mr Nelson said.
Whangarei District Council Parks and Recreation officer Stuart Jackson said the slip was smaller and further from properties than the one a few years ago. Mr Jackson likened it in scale to a recent slip on the western flank Parihaka which is highly visible.
"It always happens after extremely heavy rain. Slippage is a natural process and it will happen wherever you get steep land," Mr Jackson said.
Yesterday's slip on Mt Aubrey did not appear to have compromised the Reotahi coastal walking track which had been knocked out of action for some time after the last rockfall, he said.
