The Department of Conservation (Doc) announced last week accommodation facilities at Deep Cove in Fiordland were to be closed to overnight visitors due to the ongoing risks posed by a recent landslip.
A metre of rain fell at the camp in the four days before June 1 and then 35mm of rain fell in the hour before a landslip hit the camp.
The landslip produced a large debris flow that washed out a section of Wilmott Pass Rd, damaged buildings and blocked a significant concrete culvert.
The main hostel was not damaged.
Early geotechnical findings released in recent days show there is a significant risk further heavy rain could trigger more landslips and debris into the path of the accommodation facilities, which are used as a popular school camp.
Deep Cove Outdoor Education Trust chairman Mike MacManus said the hydro station at the camp had been repaired, along with the trust’s shed, in the nine weeks since the slip.
The next step was to look at mitigation measures to help protect buildings if another slip occurred.
Engineers were getting more accurate mapping data which helped them come up with designs.
Though nothing had been finalised, such measures could be building bunds or building channels with a wide debris path, Mr MacManus said.
He said school camp visits were suspended but he was confident they would be able to come back to the camp by the start of the fourth term.
"We have been busier than we have ever been.
"Every week we had school groups and people coming in the weekend," Mr MacManus said.
"But I’m confident we will be able to get schools back and get the camp up and running."
The camp opened in 1971 and had a 56-bed hostel and another 20-bed accommodation block.
The camp manager and a friend were the only people at the camp when the slip occurred and they were unhurt.
He said there was never any consideration of closing the camp for good — "we will be there in the future".
Machinery for repairs had been brought in by barge.
The cost of the repair work had not been finalised.
Doc southern South Island operations director Aaron Fleming said while the findings were preliminary, the information was clear.
"Based on the current information, neither Doc nor the Deep Cove Education Trust are comfortable having people continue to stay overnight," he said.
"We’re working with a team of experts to better understand the risks and what remedial work is possible and what it might involve.
"But this is expected to take some time and requires further detailed assessments of the site."
