Heavy rain brings disruption

Roads were closed and sports fixtures cancelled as heavy rain hit Queenstown over the weekend.

More wild weather on the way and sleet and snow are expected over the next couple of days.

According to MetService, about 35mm of rain fell in the resort on Saturday.

The Glenorchy road was closed early on Saturday morning from Bob’s Cove by three large slips, which contractors cleared late yesterday .

The Queenstown Lakes Council was asking people to stay away from the area, saying it was "impassable and dangerous’’.

The slips left some residents and tourists stranded in Glenorchy for the weekend. Queenstown Water Taxis ran trips between Queenstown and Glenorchy to transport those who were stuck.

A section of the Crown Range, on the zig-zags below Crown Terrace on the Arrowtown side, was also affected by slips. It remained open yesterday while the slip was cleared. Stop-go controls were in place. The weather also took its toll on the skifields. Both Coronet Peak and Treble Cone Ski Area were closed on Saturday due to high winds and overnight rain.

The council closed its sports fields due to flooding. Some games were cancelled and the Battle of the Basin premier clash between Wakatipu and Arrowtown was shifted to Wakatipu High School.

The downpour also affected tourism operations. Shotover Jet cancelled activities on Saturday as the Shotover River level rose rapidly.

MetService duty meteorologist April Clark said sleety showers and possible snow flurries were forecast for the first half of the week. A maximum temperature of 8degC was expected today and tomorrow.

Things were likely to settle down later in the week, she said.