Chaos continues on snow covered roads

BY MIKE WATSON

Hundreds of travellers evacuated from snow-stranded vehicles overnight will spend another night in emergency shelters, while some central North Island roads remain closed.

Police said this morning that the Desert Road remained closed and SH1 from Waiouru to Taihape was also closed along with SH 49 from Waiouru to Ohakune.

The army was called in to evacuate 56 people from State Highway 1 to Waiouru military camp, where they spent the night.

Major Monique Brown said those motorists were ferried back to their vehicles and given a brief chance to leave Waiouru from 12.30pm, after SH1 was cleared.

The road had since been closed again after bad weather but could reopen later today, an army spokesman said.

Another 668 travellers were evacuated from State Highway 5, with 368 rescued from the Napier end of the highway, and 300 evacuated to Taupo.

SH5 remained closed but Civil Defence and roading contractors were looking at beginning to retrieve the 150-odd cars in blocks of 20 later today.

The number of cars meant most owners would need to wait until tomorrow, Taupo District Council said.

Snow was expected on the road again tomorrow, causing further delays.

Council controller Tina Jakes said the retrieval would be ''a major logistical exercise''.

''We understand that people will be anxious to get their cars back and get on their way but we ask that they are patient and let us get on with the process as quickly as possible.

''We will keep people being accommodated updated on any progress and ask that those in private or commercial accommodation call us if we don't already have their contact details and/or car keys.''

Napier police area commander Inspector Kevin Kalff said there were no concerns for the welfare of anyone stranded or rescued.

The last bus load of cold and tired travellers were rescued by 9am from the Taupo side of the road and were resting at the Taupo Events Centre before being sent to a local marae. Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper drove one of the evacuation buses.

Those who had been rescued were either taken to the Tarawera Tavern, the Summit Kiosk or the Te Pohue Hotel. Some motorists had been picked up by family and friends.

Hukarere Girls College at Eskdale, north of Napier, was also acting as a centre for those evacuated.

Mr Kalff said there had been great support from the businesses along the Napier-Taupo Rd who had taken the evacuees and from organisations such as four-wheel drive clubs.

One motorist, returning with four passengers from the David Tua- Shane Cameron boxing match at Mystery Creek in Waikato, said hundreds of cars were trapped on State Highway 5 between Taupo and Napier last night.

Only four-wheel-drives, including fire trucks, were able to move on the blocked roads, he said.

Rangitaiki Tavern owner Marion Klaus said this morning she had been up all night making soup and cups of tea and coffee for hundreds of stranded travellers.

Taupo 4-Wheel Drive Club members had been foraying out to collect people from their cars on the Napier-Taupo Rd during the night to bring them back to the tavern.

The tavern was without power overnight, except for gas hobs and what was provided by a mobile generator brought out by Taupo Civil Defence.

From the tavern, Taupo civil defence were busing people back to Taupo.

Mrs Klaus said there were a lot of empty cars on the road, including a truck that was blocking the highway.

Hastings District Council had established a public inquiry number through its main number phone number 06 871 5000 for people wanting to find out if their family  members were safe.

Taupo's Emergency Operations Centre had also organised a phone inquiry number - 0800 275 832 .

Police were asking all drivers who had to abandon their cars last night and went  to Napier to report back to Hukerere Girls College at 10am so the road could be cleared of vehicles.

Drivers who could not make their own way to Hukerere should make their way to the Tennyson Hotel in Napier by 9am so Civil Defence could arrange transport to Eskdale.

Meanwhile, State Highway 1 at the Desert Road has been closed since yesterday afternoon and snow continued to fall in the area this morning.

A heavy rain warning also remained in place for the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.

Icy winds, rain and snowfalls are set to continue for another couple of days as a cold snap takes hold around the country.

Those brave enough to venture outside in Wellington yesterday were forced to wrap up in scarves and winter coats as temperatures hovered around 8 degrees celsius.

A MetService spokesman said snow would fall to about 600 metres in the Central Plateau and Western Hawke's Bay, with up to 20 centimetres forecast to accumulate by this morning. Snow was also possible on the Rimutaka Hill Road.

Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay would have heavy rain today. People in those areas should watch for rapidly rising streams and rivers, the spokesman said.

Cold southerly gales are forecast to continue blasting Wellington today, with the temperature expected to be about 9C.

"There's a bit of a low that is hanging round and it will be a day or two before it is nudged off," he said.

"These types of weather conditions are not unusual for this time of year. We expect changeable patterns."

LAMBS DIE IN COLD:

Meanwhile rain, snow and cold winds are killing newborn lambs in the region.

"It is sad to see any animal die, and particularly lambs, but it is a reality of farm life," said the Veterinary Association animal welfare co-ordinator Virginia Williams.

But she expected most lambs would survive the cold because they were able to deal with sudden changes of temperature.

"They can seek out shelter when they need it or snuggle into their mothers for additional warmth if it gets really cold, but in general they're used to it and it doesn't harm them. It is not the same as putting a baby or toddler out in the cold," Dr Williams said.

Farmers should ensure lambs, and their mothers, had access to shelter such as trees, bushes, rushes or even the odd hay bale.

MetService forecasters said today that more snow was expected and the weather was unlikely to let up until tomorrow.

- with NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News