Tourists are among hundreds of people who have been stranded by flooding in New Zealand’s South Island.
Parts of the island saw more than a meter of rain in hours, the country’s Metservice said, adding that a further (m – mm of rain was expected to cause “dangerous river conditions and significant flooding” over the coming day.
A state of emergency was declared in the region of Southland on Tuesday, a day after a similar declaration was made covering the popular tourist destination of Milford Sound.
Some of those trapped were able to stay overnight at a lodge on higher ground, while others were staying on tourist boats.
The region’s emergency management controller Angus McKay said: “They have plenty of food and are safe and warm. “
On Tuesday, around 60 were rescued by helicopter from Howden Hut, near Fiordland’s Lake Howden.
The hut was hit by a landslide in the early hours of the morning, leaving two occupants with minor injuries.
Seventy people have already been evacuated from State Highway 200, the only road into Milford Sound, which has been closed due to flood damage.
On Monday, 382 people had been trapped but by early Tuesday afternoon local time, this was reported to have fallen to around .
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Landscape photographer Will Patino had been at Gunns Camp, near Fiordland’s Hollyford Track on Sunday night when he woke to find his hut surrounded by water.
He told Radio New Zealand: “The river was up on the road and it must have been 10 feet higher than it would normally be.
“It was horrifying and I knew from that point ‘no, you can’t go forward anymore because if you get stuck here, that’s it, It’s just going to lift you into the river ‘. “
He managed to reach higher ground and spent several hours stranded before being rescued by helicopter.
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