Auckland turf installers (from left) Brad Innes, Mike Kok and Tyson Robertson were philosophical about having to wait for a pilot vehicle to take them across Kaiikanui Rd so they could head up to work at Parekura Bay in the Bay of Islands where they were heading. Photo / Susan Botting
Auckland turf installers (from left) Brad Innes, Mike Kok and Tyson Robertson were philosophical about having to wait for a pilot vehicle to take them across Kaiikanui Rd so they could head up to work at Parekura Bay in the Bay of Islands where they were heading. Photo / Susan Botting
Whangārei district is open for business this Waitangi weekend in spite of a state of emergency still potentially being in place on Friday for its popular northeast coastal beach settlements.
Whangārei Deputy Mayor Scott McKenzie said the usual flood of holidaymakers who made their way into Whangārei district was welcome.
He said his comments also included Whangaruru coast holiday places like Ōakura, Bland Bay and Helena Bay.
These are among popular bach settlements on the Whangaruru coastline hit by a weather bomb on January 17 and 18 when a summer’s worth of rain fell on the area.
A state of emergency was put in place across Whangārei district on January 20. This shrank in area to just the Whangārei District Council’s Hikurangi-Coastal ward when that initial declaration was extended on January 27 until 4pm today, February 3.
McKenzie said holidaymakers should, however, be respectful and considerate of those who had been impacted, some quite badly.
Visitors trying to get to their baches and holiday accommodation would have to travel on a preferred alternate route into the area from the north.
The Whangaruru coast road access routes.
This involved travelling on State Highway 1, then SH11 and included a trip on the Ōpua to Russell ferry in the Bay of Islands before hitting the northern end of Russell Rd and clear bach settlement access.
A huge slip on Helena Bay Hill blocking Russell Rd is not expected to be cleared for several months.
Travel times from Whangārei to Ōakura will more than double with the recommended alternate northern access.
The northern end of Russell Rd begins near Russell township.
This longer route takes two-and-a-half hours to get from Whangārei to Ōakura, compared with about an hour normally via the now landslide-blocked Russell Rd.
Helena Bay Cafe and Art Gallery are still easily accessible from the inland SH1 end of Russell Road because it's on the Whangārei side of the giant slip. Photo / Susan Botting
A secondary northern route into the affected area via SH1 then SH11 and Karetu/Waikare Rd takes two hours. But extreme caution is required on a largely gravel road that is not suitable for people who aren’t used to country driving.
Meanwhile, local residents and priority light vehicles only can get into the weather-hit area via Kaiikanui Rd but face time delays.
McKenzie said it was important people realised that Helena Bay Galley and Cafe were still open, in spite of the Russell Rd closure.
He said the road closure began on the seaward side of the gallery. Therefore, access to the popular attraction was fine. The business was still open.
A Whangārei Civil Defence spokesperson said Kaiikanui Rd had multiple slips, was narrow and had steep dropoffs making it highly unsuitable for truck and trailer units, caravans, boat trailers or heavy camping and holiday traffic.
Whangārei Deputy Mayor Scott McKenzie Photo / Susan Botting
The spokesperson said this route should be used for essential travel only. It should not be used by those who were not confident driving on a gravel road.
Kaiikanui Rd’s traffic management has been beefed up.
What is Whangārei’s biggest pilot vehicle programme kicked off on Kaiikanui Rd on Monday with convoys of about 20 vehicles each time heading one way at a time only, north or south.
The half-hour journey is along about 15km of the road’s most challenging area which is single-laned in places.
The northbound convoys will leave the southern departure point at the intersection of Kaiikanui and Pigs Head Rds, between 7am to 6pm depending on volume.
Those eligible to use Kaiikanui Rd access are being encouraged to access it via Whananaki Rd rather than Pigs Head Rd.
Punaruku resident Richard Wynyard was waiting to head home from Waikato to continue renovating his Piripi family home. Photo / Susan Botting
The southbound convoys will leave the northern starting point of the route. This is at the southern end of the tarseal on the Webb Rd departure point between 7.30am and 6pm, depending on volume.
Drivers waiting for the next northbound convoy’s departure were on Monday philosophical about the travel delays.
Punaruku’s Richard Wynyard was heading back from Waikato to continue renovating the family home he is moving to; floodwaters that cut off his home two weeks ago are now gone.
Tradesmen Brad Innes, Mike Kok and Tyson Robertson had not known the piloted convoys were in place before arriving at the southern departure point from Auckland in their two small trucks.
The trio was heading to the Bay of Islands’ Parekura Bay to install artificial turf for a helipad there.
“We’re used to waiting in Auckland traffic,” Robertson said.
Meanwhile, a local resident, who did not want to be named, said he had allowed extra time to make his trip into the area to attend a funeral at Bland Bay.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
