THE BIG CLEAR-UP
The clear-up is continuing after last week’s storms. Mike Watson reports.
As blue skies returned following the sub-tropical storm that lashed the New Plymouth coastline, Port Taranaki staff and volunteers began a clean up of the harbour facilities.
An overview revealed less significant damage to roads and structures at the port as a result of Friday’s storms when compared to centres further north.
However, heavy seas, coupled with a king tide and high winds which pounded Port Taranaki, left significant damage to the public carpark, boat ramp and pontoon at the lee breakwater.
Rocks were thrown onto the carpark by waves, causing deep gouging to the road surface and exposing underground pipes.
Rocks and boulders were also strewn over the Coastal Walkway, near Belt Rd motor camp.
The facilities that bore the brunt of the storm surges are expected to be closed to the public for up to a week while a detailed structural engineering assessment is completed and repair work carried out, Port Taranaki acting chief executive Mark Webb said.
‘‘The pontoon has been severely undermined and is a safety risk and we urge people to keep off it for their own safety,’’ he said.
The lee breakwater and carpark were open to the public on Sunday but people should take care as there is damage to the surface, including deep potholes, he said.
Work to rebuild the pontoon was due to start today.
Webb said the main operational area at Port Taranaki was undamaged during the storm.
No ships were in port at the time, and shipping services will also resume today.
The storm closed the entrance to the lee breakwater boat ramp and pontoon.
Customers at The Bach Cafe near the breakwater enjoyed the spectacular weather front but then had to wade through ankle deep water to return to their cars.
‘‘We stayed open during the storm but customers were walking back to cars with trousers pulled up to their knees as the water surged through the carpark,’’ The Bach owner Barbara Olsen-Henderson said.
‘‘The carpark looked like an ocean, it was a raging torrent as the waves broke over the breakwater and swept through and out to sea again.
‘‘We didn’t get any damage to the building and the storm cleaned all the rubbish out from underneath to freshen everything up.’’
Around 50 volunteers were out in force on a sunny warm Sunday morning to sweep away debris from in front of the New Plymouth Sport Fishing and Underwater Club premises.
Club president Rowan Yandle said large amounts of sludge were dumped in front of the clubrooms.
‘‘It looked like a stream running past the front of the building, the water was about a foot and a half deep as the waves broke and flowed out.’’
The boat ramp closure, the only ramp to launch recreational boats in New Plymouth, would delay fishing for anglers for the week, he said.
Commercial fisherman Rob Ansley was able to continue normal work and barge the daily catch to the ramp to be pulled up by tractor.
The storm brought interim relief to drought-hit coastal farmers with up to 50mm of rainfall on parched paddocks near Okato, while Hawera area received 67mm, and New Plymouth nearly 40mm between Thursday and Saturday.
The heavy swells brought the unfamiliar sight of surfers catching waves at Ngamotu Beach.
The storm caused the cancellation of the final day’s competition to the 50th national Paper Tiger class championships being held at Port Taranaki.