On Saturday morning a slip blocked part of the highway north of Coromandel, meaning for those trying to return home, the misery only got worse.
Before midnight on Friday, the section of highway between Coromandel township and Te Rerenga was blocked by a slip.
NZTA-Waka Kotahi said there was no detour for motorists to use and advised holidaymakers and locals to delay their journeys.
Beaches were closed and surf lifesavers were urging people to stay out of the water; in fact, MetService’s marine overview showed wind gusts and 3.3m waves made for fairly dangerous swimming situations.
It’s played havoc with music festivals — the latest casualties being Juicy Fest and A Summer’s Day Live whose organisers made the call out of concern for audience and performers’ safety.
As many as 15,000 people were expected to attend Juicy Fest, which boasted a star-studded lineup headlined by Nelly, Ne-Yo and Ja Rule.
Many fans were rightly gutted, with one telling us they booked accommodation as early as six months ago at an Airbnb.
Damp campers packed up early, with camping ground managers confirming the exodus, with only a few stubborn holidaymakers preferring to stick it out.
But it can’t be much fun.
The culprit? A low-pressure system, sitting out over the Tasman Sea along with a large high-pressure system parked east of the Chatham Islands, blocking the low from making much progress across the country, resulting in a prolonged period of rain.
More is on its way with the North Island expected to take a direct hit from ex-tropical cyclone Hale.
What are we to do?
For those lucky enough to still be on holiday, it’s time to break out the wet-weather contingencies to keep the kids occupied.
Board games and card games — if they don’t result in fights.
Put those streaming subscriptions to use with a movie marathon afternoon — if you can decide what to watch.
Bake something yummy. Maybe home-made snacks for your movie marathon — if it doesn’t trigger Covid lockdown PTSD.
Maybe just go outside for a walk anyway, if it’s safe to do so. It’s only water after all.
