Tens of thousands of people were left without power and hundreds forced to flee their homes and camping spots after wild weather battered the South Island.
Much of the country has already been hammered by wild weather this week but it's not over yet.
The MetService has issued a severe weather outlook for the top of the country for the start of the weekend.
On Friday and Saturday a deep low is expected to move slowlysoutheast to the north of New Zealand while a ridge of high pressure covers the south.
MetService forecaster Hordur Thordarson said Gisborne, the Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Auckland and Northland were likely to get heavy rain on Friday and Saturday which could reach warning amounts - more than 100mm within 24 hours.
That would also be accompanied by strong southeasterly winds, and possibly gales, in the same areas.
In the Nelson region freedom campers had to flee their Mapua spot when a large storm surge stranded them in knee-deep water.
The storm caused major power cuts on the West Coast, Nelson, Marlborough and parts of the South Island's east coast.
In the Nelson suburbs of Tahunanui and Monaco firefighters responded to reports of sea surge but had to continue on foot when they found Martin St blocked by a catamaran.
Worst hit • Maximum wind gust: 154km/h at Mt Kaukau in Wellington • Most rain in an hour: 33mm at Mt Taranaki • 20cm of snow recorded at the Homer Tunnel, Fiordland
