Campers flee flood-engulfed camp

Flooding in Rai Valley, north of Nelson, strands stock in paddocks and closes State Highway 6. Photo / NZPA

Campers fled on foot in darkness at the Pelorus Bridge Camp today as a flood with enough power to lift caravans hit the idyllic holiday spot, 59km northwest of Blenheim.

"One caravan left one side of the camp ground and got swept away with the car attached and ended up on the other side of the camp ground," Pelorus Camp co-manager Stephanie Neal told NZPA.

The drama unfolded around 4am after an alarm in a creek near the camp provided an early warning of rising water.

Ms Neal said her husband Nobby checked the alarm and decided to evacuate the camp.

The camp has 32 tent sites and 14 powered sites and encompasses two camp areas beside the Pelorus River, which is a popular swimming and kayaking area.

"Some campers decided to pack up their gear and Nobby said leave your gear, you have to get out now."

A decision was made not to move vehicles because the water was rising so quickly and 98 campers walked out on a track and assembled at the cafe at the town of Pelorus Bridge.

Ms Neal said the back camp area of the campground was under four to five metres of water and the water level rose to 2m of the Pelorus Bridge.

The water receded quickly and the back camp area was now covered in mud.

Two vehicles were covered in silt

A large Ms Neal had lent to family members had been moved across the campground and was a "big buckled mess". As well as the caravan moved by the flood another one had been tipped upside down.

"We have lived here for eight and a half years and I have never seen the river so high," Ms Neal said.

"We are building a new toilet and shower block and we built it half a foot higher than the highest flood we have ever had and it went two feet above that mark," she said.

The campground is closed today and the Neals spent the day trying to contact campers on their way to start holidays.

Some of the evacuated campers were going to stay at Pelorus Outdoor Centre tonight.

Rain and severe winds last night and early today battered the upper South Island and lower North Island before moving up the country today.

- NZPA