Roads begin to reopen in Coromandel after slips and flooding

Coromandel roads have reopened with conditions after wet and wild weather conditions battered the country.

Slips and power lines have come down on a number of roads, highways have been flooded and the Thames Coromandel District Council warned motorists to beware of debris on Tuesday.

Thames-Coromandel District manager of emergency management Gary Towler said it is the most intense winter the Coromandel Peninsula had for some years – with this the fourth event in five weeks.

Shortly after 2pm on Tuesday Waka Kotahi said SH25 had reopened between Waihī and Whiritoa following an earlier slip.

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SH25 Tairua to Hikuai had reopened, but could close again at short notice depending on rain and tides and SH25A Kopu to Hikuai was open but residents were asked not to travel to allow contractors to remove slip debris.

SH25 Kuaotunu to Wharekaho (Simpsons Beach) reopened at 5.30pm on Tuesday with traffic management.

SH25 Coromandel to Te Rerenga remained closed due to a large slip and was not expected to reopen for some time.

Towler said rapid assessment crews were out on first light on Tuesday and found the road covered in debris and surface flooding.

“We had about 190mm at the Pinnacles, which is our recording station above Thames, and about 172mm at Coromandel, which is Castle Rock. So we’ve had considerable rain on top of saturated catchments.

“Luckily for us the school holidays have finished, so we are working with locals who are very well versed and very resilient in this area, and it’s just business as usual for them.”

He said supply trucks were still able to get through as they are large enough to get through the water.

Meanwhile, the wild weather forced Opoutere School to close for the day.

The school bus couldn’t get from Tairua due to flooding between Tairua and Hikuai, with power lines also down, the school said in an online post.

It also stated that floodwater levels were right up to the road at the Wharekawa Bridge and either side of the road with more rain forecast.

“Apologies for the disruption but safety for our tamariki and kaiako are paramount and school will be closed for the day.”

Also closed on Tuesday was Hikuai School due to flooding and a tree down across Hikuai Settlement Rd.

Coromandel Area School also posted on social media on Monday night that due to road closures there were a number of staff who couldn’t make it to school.

Therefore, the school asked if parents could keep their children home on Tuesday, if able to do so. There would be some online learning and supervision available for children at school.

Whangamatā Area School’s principal Alistair Luke posted on Facebook that students who were unable to attend school due to road closures would be able to do online learning.

And whānau who lived rurally should assess their journey to school and only travel if it was safe.

In the Bay of Plenty, a slip between Allport and Maniatutu roads was blocking SH33 between Rotorua and Paengaroa.

The road was likely to be closed all day. Detours are State Highway 2, State Highway 29A, and State Highway 36.