KEY POINTS:
Linesman will continue slinging their ladders over their backs and carrying their gear into isolated areas as the battle to restore power to the storm ravaged upper North Island continues this weekend.
Most houses which had power cuts during the violent storms of the last few days should
be restored within the next 24 hours.
Powerco said 25,720 customers on the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula and Piako, south of Auckland lost their power as high winds brought down lines and power poles and falling trees did more damage.
In Auckland and Northland line crews were still working to restore power and most homes and businesses were expected to be back on line by the end of the weekend.
Powerco network operations manager Ross Dixon said crews were working through a large list of individual customer repairs spread right across the Coromandel and Hauraki Plains.
Much of the damage had been identified from helicopter surveillance crews in remote hill country well away from homes.
"We have around 110 people at work, including contractors from as far away as Palmerston North and Hastings," Mr Dixon said.
He said linemen were tramping into some areas, carrying ladders and equipment with them, because slips had closed access tracks and there were no safe landing areas for helicopters.
Further north Far North district mayor Yvonne Sharp said tenacity, resilience, brave faces and smiles were some of the memories she would treasure after an extensive tour of the hardest hit areas.
"The generosity and spirit of Far Northlanders is humbling in a disaster such as the second round of floods our worst hit communities have endured this week," she said.
The Far North cleanup from the storm was likely to continue for weeks.
Mrs Sharp said the volunteers and storm victims were an inspiration.
"I can only hope that I would cope as well as these people in the event of an emergency. I take my hat off to them and to the community heart that makes the Far North the very special place it is."
She said many people now faced the daunting task of rebuilding their lives after flood waters ravaged their homes and the loss of their treasured possessions. Some had lost their homes and livelihoods, she said.
Welfare Centres in Whangarei and Hikurangi would remain open over the weekend and a new centre had opened at the Mangakahia Sports complex to cater for residents in Mangakahia or nearby areas who had no power.
Virtually all roads were open and the Whangarei District Council said it would provide free disposal of spoiled frozen food at its refuse transfer stations.
The council warned householders who had lost power for more than 24 hours to dump food safely and make sure it was not available for people who might eat it and get sick.
The council said it would also provide free disposal of green waste for a week as people cleaned up their gardens.
- NZPA
