A massive slip that has cut off road access to 18 houses north of Gisborne has been described as "nature at its best".
The slip, about 1km north of the Anaura Bay Motor Camp, 85km north of Gisborne, is estimated to contain about 20-30,000 cubic metres of soil. It coversthe road to Nuhiti Beach and Anaura Bay and a neighbouring property so people can only get past via the beach.
The slip, which comes from the hillside of an Anaura Bay Incorporation farm, looks as if an entire hillside has been picked up and moved to the side.
Gisborne District Council northern roading engineer Dennis Malone did not know how long it would take to clear it.
"The reality is that you can always walk around it, but that doesn't always go down well," he said.
"There's about another $1 million worth of work hung, slung and flung throughout the area's roads because of this weather."
Contractors would attempt to clear a path through the middle of the large pile of dirt and rock, and would clear the remaining material once there was road access.
A slip had been expected about 10km up the road, but not where it had occurred, Mr Malone said.
"This is a hell of a surprise. I certainly didn't expect this one. But people don't realise how geologically fragile this place is."
Contractors have begun working on the site to give road access to the six Anaura Bay houses and 12 at Nuhiti Beach.
"It's nature at its best," said Anaura Bay Motor Camp manager Jack Russell.
"Driving along roads you see slips but to see a landmass move about 150 metres is quite something."
Nuhiti Station shepherd general Andy Sidney lives about 5km past the slip and said it was the largest he had seen.
"It doesn't really bother me because this is three years in a row I have been blocked off."
Apart from needing to take sheep to the market he would not otherwise be affected.
"Oh, my social life might...But I haven't got much of one anyway."
