Another frosty morning and a warning from police to take extra care on treacherous, icy roads, with crashes reported in Dunedin and Canterbury.
A Toyota Hilux tumbled down a steep bank just before 5.30am today after hitting black ice in Ravensbourne Rd.
An Otago Daily Times photographer said the vehicle landed beside the Ravensdown fertiliser works.
Police said the driver managed to get out of the car and was not injured.
Contractors have been called to repair the fence.
Meanwhile, Allandale Rd in St Clair was closed after a car crashed into a power pole about 6.40am. There were no injuries, police said.
About 15 minutes later, a second car crashed in the same spot also due to ice, Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said.
Dunedin City Council contractors were called to add grit to the road.
The DCC said frost and black ice were widespread and care was needed on roads and footpaths, especially in shaded areas.
"Our contractors have been out checking and treating main roads as required."
It's another 10am start for Dunedin schools and kindergartens, as well as East Otago High School.
Meanwhile, flights have again been disrupted in and out of Dunedin Airport this morning.
A passenger said he arrived for his 6.05am flight to Christchurch but by 8am it hadn't yet taken off, while two flights from Christchurch to Dunedin have been cancelled as well as one arriving from Wellington.
Buses affected
Buses have also been affected by the icy conditions in Dunedin this morning.
The following routes are affected:
• Route 3 - buses are unable to travel into Ocean Grove and will instead terminate close to Tainui School. Buses will begin the trip back to Ross Creek from Tahuna Bowls Club.
• Route 5 - buses are unable to travel up Pine Hill Rd and will instead terminate at Bank St. Buses will begin the trip back to Calton Hill from Bank St.
• Route 10 - buses are unable to travel up Opoho Road and will instead terminate at Bank St. Buses will begin the trip back to Shiel Hill from Bank St.
• Route 15 - all Ridge Runner trips will not be running until 9am in both directions.
• Route 18 - the bus unfortunately couldn't service Harwood on the 7.07am trip due to the ice. All upcoming trips should run as normal.
• Route 63 - all trips will not be running until 9am in both directions.
• Route 70 - buses are unable to travel into Abbotsford until further notice. The rest of the route will be run as normal between Brighton and Green Island.
• School services - Three 9am school services will run from Green Island to: Kings/Queens, Otago Boys High School and Kaikorai Valley College.
Central Otago and Queenstown
In Central Otago, it was also another hard frost, with black ice likely and the odd pocket of fog still hanging about from yesterday, a spokeswoman for the district council said. Temperatures ranged from -8°C to 1°C.
In the Queenstown Lakes District, road crews have been busy this morning checking out any frosty sections on the main routes.
A spokesman said there was a real mix of temperatures, with Hāwea Flat sitting at -7°C, Arrowtown at -6°C and the Crown Range on 3.5°C.
"Parts of Queenstown Hill still continue to be a bit frosty since they hide in amongst the shade all day, and generally, we'd recommend being extra careful if you're walking, riding, or driving around any hilly suburbs near Queenstown today.
"Also important to be careful when driving on any loose grit around the network - this can be slippery too. Pay extra attention when approaching intersections with grit on the road, and start to slow down in a more gentle, and earlier fashion to avoid any skids."
Canterbury crashes
Further north, a number of crashes have been reported in the Canterbury region and police advised road users to take extreme care.
"Fortunately no one has been seriously injured.
"Please - slow down, watch your following distance and use your headlights. We want everyone to get where they’re going safely this morning."
- ODT Online
