Flood cuts off holiday baches

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 1

Flood cuts off holiday baches

Floodwaters yesterday washed out both approaches to the Kowhai Stream bridge, cutting off road access to a farm and about 20 holiday homes at Peel Forest, South Canterbury. Most of the houses were empty, although a handful of families had already moved in for their Christmas holiday.

.. Blandswood Road has been closed near the bridge since 9 a.m. yesterday, and Lookout Road is impassable..

The stream was in the news in January, 1975, when a flood swept away a bach and took the lives of four children. More than 100 mm of rain have fallen in the area since Christmas Eve.

A Lands and Survey Department ranger, Mr Dave Massam, said last evening that the stream had been rising and falling “like a yoyo.” Large quantities of shingle have oeen swept down from the slope of Little Mount Peel causing the normally placid stream to burst its banks in several places. Tarseal began lifting on the bridge approaches late on Wednesday afternoon but it took a particularly heavy downpour during the evening to wash out large chunks of the road.

The bridge, which was rebuilt after the tragedy in 1975, was still standing “like an island in the middle,” according to Mr Massam. As the stream rose, shingle was washed across the

top of the bridge. Mr Massam said the isolated houses were in no danger. Some families tried to reach their holiday houses yesterday, but found the access road blocked and had to turn back. Others were fortunate enough to learn of the flood on a radio news flash in Timaru before setting out The owners of the only farm that relies on the bridge for access were away when the approaches were washed out They are believed to staying with relatives until the road is

repaired. The volatility of the floodwaters has prevented Strathallan County Council staff getting near the bridge to begin repairs. The weather cleared late yesterday afternoon, although a southerly change is forecast for tomorrow. Mr Massam said the ground was so wet that another downpour would quickly raise the level of fne stream. River protection works since the 1975 flood had diverted the course of the stream away from the holiday houses. Owners of the houses said last evening, that shingle had been building up behind the bridge for several years, making yesterday’s washout inevitable. The stream flooded twice in 1980, with similar results. In 1975 a cloudburst and

slips on Little Mount Peel lea to a dangerous build-up of water in the stream at Blandswoocl ;

A dam formed suddenly, then gave way, pouring a huge volume of water over a new course through lowlying cottages. The water lifted cottages, cars, and trees across the road, and washed the bridge and telephone call-box down the stream. The four children who lost their lives on that occasion were in the front of a solidly built house which was demolished within seconds of being hit by a wall of water, shingle, and uprooted trees. The mother and baby brother of the three of the children were lucky to survive. They were in a small part of the kitchen which remained temporarily intact on higher ground, jammed against a tree.