Wānaka found itself more isolated than usual for a time today, with three of its key arterial routes closed due to the wild weather battering the region.
The Haast Pass (State Highway 6), Wānaka-Mount Aspiring Road and Cardrona Valley Road all faced closures on Friday, leaving motorists with little choice but to plan a lengthy detour or hunker down until the all-clear was given.
The most significant closure was on SH6 between Hāwea and the Haast Pass.
A spokesperson for Waka Kotahi said a series of slips had affected the road, the worst at Muddy Creek just north of Makarora.
The highway, which provides the most direct route to the West Coast from Wānaka, will be closed all weekend. An update from Waka Kotahi is expected on Monday afternoon.
Wānaka-Mount Aspiring Rd was also closed from Glendhu Bluffs due to a slip, and from Glenfinnan Bluffs due to deep fords.
As of Friday afternoon, the Queenstown Lakes District Council had not provided an estimated time frame for the road’s reopening.
Meanwhile, the stretch of Cardrona Valley Rd from Wānaka to Cardrona ski field had also been closed due to multiple slips on Thursday evening.
Nicole Felts, journey manager for Otago and Southland Waka Kotahi, encouraged people to avoid travel on flooded roads on Friday or overnight.
“If you have an essential journey, you will need to build in extra time and please be informed of what might be ahead of you,” she said.
