Updated….We’re back open again – but with some road access limitations for the next few weeks.
Well that was quite something! We had over 300mm of rain and very strong winds up to 88kph here at the Kenepuru Heads over three days last weekend (17-19 July)! The result of all that is that our road is gone and some of the Queen Charlotte Track has been closed. Ngahere Hou escaped relatively unscathed fortunately, although we lost communications for a couple of days. One of the advantages of being off-grid is that we had power throughout.
The Queen Charlotte Drive near Moenui (Havelock end) 
Kenepuru Road near Tara Bay 
Kenepuru road near Portage
The Marlborough District Council and many locals are out working around the clock to try and establish a passage through the debris. A big shout out to all those out there on the diggers! While this has been achieved in places there are also some severe washouts where there is very little road left, which means currently we are unable to access the outside world by road.
We had some guests staying cosy and dry in the Yurt throughout the Weather bomb, but they had to stay an extra night until we were able to arrange a way out for them! They got a place on Johnson’s barge with their car once the road to Portage was made passable.
We’ve just heard from DOC that the Queen Charlotte Track is now closed for inspection until August 27th. This is what they said….
“We have had the track checked completely now and the Anakiwa to Te Mahia and Camp Bay to Meretoto/Ship Cove are too badly damaged to allow the public to use them. There are numerous large cracks along with very narrow sections where the track is non existent as well as slips across the track with trees and vegetation in many places. Luckily there is only one bridge missing however some others may be unsafe for use depending on undermining or impacts from flood debris. We need to arrange diggers and other machinery plus operators for these and other materials such as culverts, as well as have a good, safe plan for reinstating the track before we start work. We are working on these plans at present but it still may take a week or so to actually see any actual work on the track.”
We now have road access but only from Punga Cove at this stage. But that means we can get supplies people and luggage to Ngahere Hou!
