FEW ROUTES OPEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22333, 3 February 1936, Page 11

FEW ROUTES OPEN

SERIOUS DISLOCATION MAIN HIGHWAY NORTH EAST COAST AND TARANAKI The most serious dislocation of road Trnflic in his experience was reported by the touring manager of the Automobile Association (Auckland last night. The almost entire suspension to country districts of road, rail and telephone services yesterday morning made it very difficult to secure reliable information for the hundreds of motorists who were returning to their homes at the conclusion of holidav tours.

Dozens of school teachers appear to be held up in Auckland. The association's patrols experienced a busy day investigating every possible detour, but in almost all cases where highways were impassable side roads and detours were also affected.

The touring manager said that the Post and Telegraph Department had given him wonderful assistance in establishing contact by telephone with patrols in outlying areas. Reports of Patrols Toward evening patrols who had been on tlie roads all day reported on conditions in the flooded areas. All routes to the north were blocked by floods and slips of a somewhat serious nature, indicating that the main highway via \\ arkworth may not be open to-day. Slips interrupted traffic on the west coast road via Port Albert and Kaukapakapa yesterday ijiorning, but a few cars were able to get through in the afternoon, 'lhe Helensville road was Hooded and traffic had to travel via White Hills to Devonport.. The Pokeno to Paeroa highway w«s covered with Hood waters in several places, but a patrol established communication by travelling via Mercer and several back roads and then through paddocks. The Mangatawhiri bridge on the Pokcno-Paeroa road is closed to traflie owing to flood damage. The water was receding last night. Slips blocked the Coromandel highway. Paeroa to Te Aroha ,'I he route between Paeroa and Te Aroha was also Hooded and the road from 'J e Aroha to Ohinewai via Tahuna was also impassable. Reports indicate that the highways from Te Aroha to Morrinsvillc anil Hamilton and from Te Aroha to Matainata were open to traffic all day. Tauranga was practically isolated yesterday, the highway being blocked between Paeroa and Waihi. The detour, although open in the morning, was blocked later in the day. A bridge was washed away near Waikino. Motorists were unable to use the Kaimai route to Tauranga on account of a slip on the hills. The connection between Tauranga and Rotorua was also broken, a slip on the hill country blocking traffic. Rotorua and East Coast Traffic between Rotorua and Whakatane was suspended on account of slips at Rotoma and Roto-iti. A motorist who travelled from Rotorua to Matamata yesterday morning said the road was clear, but later reports stated that a culvert near Ngongotaha had overflowed and although some cars were getting through, considerable difficulty was being experienced. The Taupo-Napier highway is also blocked by a slip 20 miles north of Napier. Although there were numerous slips on the Te Kuiti-New Plymouth highway, traffic was getting through, but late in the afternoon flood waters covered the road between Mahoenui and Awakino, and by nightfull the wator was stated to be deep enough to stop many motorists.

Reports of a definite nature regarding highways further south are lacking, but judging from the weather it is anticipated there will be several blockages.

ROTORUA SUFFERS TOWN IN DARKNESS MAORI MISSION DEMOLISHED [bt TELEGRAPH OWN correspondent] ROTORUA. Sunday Considerable havoc, including the demolition of the original Maori mission church on the shore of Lake Rotorua at Ohinemutu, was caused by ! a storm which raged unabated last : night and until daylight this morning. I Shortly before midnight a light wind increased to gale force, bringing down large trees across the power lines in many parts of the district and plunging the town and suburbs into darkness. At the height of the gale, about 4 a.m., the original Maori missionary church, alongside the carved church at Ohinemutu, collapsed. The top of a large memorial to the late Captain Mair, which stands in the grounds of the • present church, was also smashed. The greater part of the furnishings in the building is irreparably damaged. With well over Sin. of rain recorded for the 24 hours up to 9 a.m. this morning, streams flowing into Lake Rotorua rapidly rose, and by this morning were overflowing their banks and flooding the low-lying farm lands and roads. Although the storm had abated by about 11 o'clock this morning, the wind again sprang up shortly after 2 p.m. and a large pine tree in the town square opposite the Government Gardens fell across the road, while at about the same time a gum tree was uprooted along the road leading to Whakarewarewa, causing a further interruption to the electrical supply. A large slip occurred in tho Rotorua Hill road and service car passengers have had to be transferred across the slip, while another large slip in the -Waioeka (Jorge is reported to have blocked all traffic from Gisbornc. Although a high wind is still blowing, there has been no rain in Rotorua for some hours. GLEVEDON DISTRICT MANY FARMS INUNDATED Floods which are described bv residents of Clevcdon as the worst for 20 years Mere experienced yesterday. For miles the river flats were covered with swirling, mudd.v water, and a tremendous amount of dafnage was caused on many farms, which were almost completely inundated. Heavy losses of stock, hay and farm equipment have been reported. Water rose rapidly in the Clevedon saleyards and more than 60 sheep were drowned. They were owned by Mr. Geo. Campbell, of N ess Valley, and one estimated to have been worth about £1.'50.