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A number of Raetihi businesses believe the time is now for those looking to set up shop.
This follows a few tough months of business for the town.
In October lastyear, 400m of State Highway 4 gave way to a slip, adding 90 minutes driving time between Whanganui and Raetihi via Fields Track or Whanganui River Road.
A temporary road for SH4 was reopened on December 20.
A little over a month on, Raetihi businesses are getting back on track, with traffic and customers going up day by day.
"From New Year onwards we've certainly seen a remarkable increase in traffic and people coming through the town," chairman of Raetihi Promotions, Gary Griffin-Chappel, said.
Griffin-Chappel said he believed there were more businesses open in the town than in recent years.
They were in the early stages of planning for a town hub, hoping to replicate something similar to what Foxton.
The three to five-year project would involve new tracks to the area as well as new facilities.
"It will give us a new library, new meeting facilities, and an area for Uenuku to display their artifacts, so that is an exciting project."
Gary Griffin-Chappel outside Angel Louise Cafe, Raetihi.
Another distant goal for the town was to open up the Ameku Road walkway, and have that eventually link to the Bridge to Nowhere track in the heart of Whanganui National Park.
Griffin-Chappel reiterated that these were early plans for the next three to five years, but said: "as this starts to take off we'll see more people want to come to town and open new businesses".
Portrait artist of the Volcano Vibe Collective Paula Charlton said it was "getting more and more viable" to live in Raetihi.
"A place where people can come to with ideas, develop workshops and provide skill enhancing opportunities," Charlton said.
"From an individual business point of view, we are definitely growing month on month, and coming out with new initiatives all time. The community is amazing. Huge amount of community support when you start a new project."
Charlton moved from the UK in 2003 and has only lived in Raetihi in her time in New Zealand.
She said after living here for 17 years, "there's a positive buzz and maybe we are getting out of our doldrums".
Raetihi is doing well. Photo / Bevan Conley
Ian Moore from the Dinosaur House was very worried about what impact the slip would have to the town.
"We opened a week after it (SH4) closed. Thought it was terrible timing."
The museum has a collection of dinosaur displays and fossils, with business picking up each month that goes by, Moore said.
"The word is getting out there now which is great. We have been contacted by quite a few schools who in this first term want to come bring students along."
Moore said the timing is quite good for those interested in starting a business. "Seems like the community is starting to pick up. The prices are still very low here."
Terry Gray from Colonial Upholsterer Lower Hutt said the SH4 closure caused significant effects.
"I'm on the mainstreet and it had dropped off. People still found there way up River Road or go up to Ohakune through the Fields Track way. But it did drop off."
Gray moved from Wellington to Raetihi for a lifestyle change in March 2018.
"I wanted to live in a place where I could roll out of bed at 6.30 and read the ski report and then make the decision to go skiing."
The building Gray is in, 78 Seddon Street, was empty for 13 years before he set up his upholstery business at the site. "They were so supportive of having a new business in the area which they hadn't seen in some time."
Since setting up shop, Gray has had zero issues with securing work. "It's very, very busy. I work by myself, but there are opportunities for me to employ someone soon."
"I feel that there are great business opportunities for people. I really do think there is."
Gray was optimistic with where Raetihi could be going forward.
