Queenstowners woke yesterday to find mountain tops covered with a fresh dusting of snow — just five days after the mercury in the resort hit 35.2degC, the highest temperature recorded in Queenstown since records began in 1878.
While the sun returned again yesterday, and the snowy hills remained shrouded in cloud for much of the day, heavy rain which fell across the area from Wednesday night had left some damage in its wake.
Skippers Rd remains closed because of a slip at Blue Slip, where material was "still frittering" above it, the Queenstown Lakes District Council said.
The council advised Rees Rd, near Glenorchy, was likely to remain closed for the weekend at the Oxburn Power Station because of "significant damage from the river".
However, Kinloch, Greenstone, Paradise and Routeburn Rds were all open again by 11.30am yesterday.
"People using these roads will still need to drive with care, especially on the Paradise Rd where the fords will still be running quite high/fast."
Mt Aspiring Rd was closed at the swing bridge, 4km from Raspberry Flat car park, because of a "significant washout" in the upper reaches of the road, which had made it impassable.
• Roxburgh residents are considering themselves lucky after this week’s severe rain, the main highway through the town having reopened and no homes having been affected.
Thursday’s flooding only affected creeks on the outskirts of town and interrupted traffic on State Highway 8, to the south of Roxburgh, Teviot Valley Community Board chairman Raymond Gunn said.
State Highway 8 from Roxburgh to Millers Flat reopened at 5pm yesterday.
