Swollen rivers peak in Southland

Vehicles negotiate flooding south of Hedgehope, where the Titipua and College Streams overflowed yesterday. Photo / Allison Rudd

Southern authorities are warning motorists to take care today as swollen rivers peak in Southland.

The rain has stopped in the headwaters, but peak flows will still be moving downstream today.

The flooding - the second event in nine days - was caused by rainfall of up to 200mm in Fiordland and 40-90mm across all Southland River catchments over about 18 hours on Wednesday and early yesterday morning.

Gore was the only urban area affected. Gore Volunteer Fire Brigade members arrived just in time at two properties to start pumps to stop water from entering houses, brigade chief Steve Lee said.

In rural areas, farmers "knew what to do" and moved stock to higher ground, Environment Southland duty flood warning officer Chris Jenkins said yesterday.

Hedgehope Dairy farm worker Mark McKee said the road was dry when he went to work at 8am yesterday but was flooded when he returned home for lunch.

The Milford Track, which was closed on Wednesday morning, reopened yesterday.

The storm, which brought with it 22mm of rain an hour, peaked between 9pm and midnight on Wednesday night, Department of Conservation (Doc) spokeswoman Annie Wallace said.

Widespread flooding washed out sections of the track.

"Staff are being flown into the Milford Track to replace damaged bridges, and trampers are being flown over a short section of track before Mackinnon Pass. The independent and guided walkers are crossing Mackinnon Pass together due to high winds on the saddle. One way or another, a lot of trampers are going to have a very memorable new year tramp."

On the Kepler Track, all walkers managed to traverse the alpine section of the track on Wednesday despite of high winds, Ms Wallace said.

The Routeburn Track is closed at the Lake Mackenzie outlet midway through the track because of flooding, but Ms Wallace said trampers could still go on to the track at either end as long as they were prepared to return the same way until flooding subsided.