Soaked region will take years to recover

ACROSS

1 Paper hankies (7) 4 Outward breath (10) 9 Misdemeanour (7) 13 Stone fruit (4) 14 Defeated (6) 15 Blameworthy (6)

16 In the middle (7) 19 Thinking deeply (10) 20 Loathed (8)

21 Carpet nails (5) 24 Categories (6)

25 Chase (6)

27 Skydiver's accessory (9) 32 Top tightrope (4,4) 33 Attraction (6)

34 Warn (7)

38 Away from land (8) 39 Slowly (mus)(6)

40 Shout (4)

41 Less (5)

42 Provisos (5)

45 Basic livelihood (5,3,6) 52 Scold (anag)(5)

55 Marks correct (5)

56 Very small loaf of bread

(4)

1 13 19 24 38 42 55 61 73 70

2 57 Within (6)

58 Hatch by warmth (8) 61 Blatant (7)

62 Pays (6)

63 Unleash (3,5)

66 Ill will (9)

68 Surgical stitch (6) 69 Wound (6)

73 Nozzle (5)

74 Flying military organisation

(3,5)

76 Subjugation (10)

81 Is contrite (7)

82 School dodger (6)

83 Dwell (6)

84 Pastry type (4) 85 Luxurious (7)

86 Faultless, exemplary

(10)

87 Unknown (7) 1 Subject (5)

2 Caviar fish (8)

3 Daytime nap (6) 4 Consumed (5) 5 Whetstone (4) 6 Traveller’s stuff (7)

7 Leg tops (6) 8 Water-dwelling animal (5) 10 Sense (4)

11 Contestant (7) 12 Blackboard sticks (6) 17 Braking signals (10)

18 Of the kidneys (5) 22 Moved upwards (8) 23 Group of fish (5) 24 Distribute (4,3) 26 Component part (4) 28 One who examines and

determines (7)

29 Winged child (6)

30 Poise (6)

31 Plump (6)

33 Inert gas (5)

35 Spin around (5)

36 At a distance (4)

37 Bolt (4)

7

8

10

11

12 1 1

43 Fit to eat (6) 44 Manufacturer (5)

46 Public disorder (4) 47 Malady (7)

48 Sour-tasting (6)

49 Writing tables (5)

50 Move in waves (8) 51 Haphazard (6) 52 Awkwardness in movement

or shape (10)

53 Elliptical (4)

54 Stage background (7) 59 Garden figure (5)

60 Agitate (4)

64 Meat jelly (5)

65 Performer’s tryout (8) 67 Unbiased (7)

68 Doubter (7)

70 Maintenance (6)

71 Fold mark (6)

72 Wears away (6)

75 Public meeting for

open discussion (5) 77 Skiing slope (5)

78 Rope loop (5)

79 Boy’s name (4)

80 Aquatic creature (4)

WAKA KOTAHI NZ TRANSPORT AGENCY Looking down from above a slip that fell on to the Rocks Rd section of State Highway 6 in Nelson, forcing its closure. Paul McGuire and daughter Camille McGuire, 8, braved the downpour to get as close as they dared to the flooded Maitai River in Nelson.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF Britannia Heights resident Dave Jordan makes his way home along Rocks Rd with his dog Nyx.

SUPPLIED The flooded Te Hoiere/Pelorus River was almost up to the bridge deck at Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/ STUFF

BARNABY SHARP/ STUFF Among the wreckage and chaos in Nelson, some people still managed to find time to have a bit of fun. Jayden, 15, Nando, 14, and Alfie, 14, whetted their appetite for adventure in Stoke.