Local farmers cleared a landslip on Turakina Valley Rd near Taihape after 20 cars became stuck behind it. Video / Sophie Hurley
A farmer has detailed how he and up to six others worked together to clear fallen trees and slips to help motorists trapped on a rural road.
About 20 cars were reportedly stuck for several hours behind a landslip on the road yesterday afternoon after drivers took the backroute following the closure of part of State Highway 1 near Taihape because of heavy rain and strong winds.
Poor mobile coverage made it difficult for the trapped motorists on Turakina Valley Rd to raise the alarm, with local farmers eventually coming to their aid and clearing the slips.
Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said a New Zealand Defence Force helicopter sent to survey the area found the slips had been cleared and cars had moved on.
Luckily for the motorists, locals grabbed their tools and got to work to clear space for the drivers to get through.
A local farmer, who did not want to be named, told the Herald he and up to six others worked together to clear fallen trees and slips at various points along the road before contractors arrived.
An aerial view of a landslide at Turakina Valley Rd, Taihape. Photo / NZDF
“There were two tractors and two people in buggies side by side,” he said, adding others used chainsaws and hand tools.
“Everybody just gets in and helps,” he said, adding that they helped “off our own back, not getting paid for it”.
“Even if the hillside’s still coming down, we’re still working there shifting the dirt while it’s coming down.”
He criticised GPS routing that funnelled unfamiliar drivers on to the narrow, gravel road, saying it is not designed to handle highway-level traffic.
Residents along the Rangitīkei road told the Herald the true scale of damage in the area had been understated.
Turakina Valley Rd remains affected by multiple landslips that have left many residents isolated and without power. Photo / Sophie Hurley
Two residents told the Herald multiple slips, fallen trees, forestry slash and power outages have left parts of Turakina Valley Rd isolated.
“The cars getting trapped yesterday is just a very small piece of the puzzle,” local businesswoman Sophie Hurley said.
“People were being sent down here without realising how isolated it is.
“For many, it would have been far more dangerous than just waiting out the closure.”
Hurley said the extreme weather, which was the worst she’d seen since she moved to the area in 2015, left the road “hammered”.
Hurley said the effects of the storm would continue to linger, with farms scrambling to secure generators to keep households and livestock operations running.
