Long beach hop after storm

The coastline "took the bulk of the battering". Chris Choat

Mother Nature has carved out a new look for Nelson’s Rabbit Island beach, including more than a 3-metre drop to the water in places.

Strong winds and high tides played havoc in coastal parts of the region on Tuesday night flooding campgrounds, leaving roads covered in debris and damaging part of the Great Taste cycling trail.

The overnight storm also changed a strip of the island coastline popular with picnickers and beach-goers.

Tasman District Council spokesman Chris Choat said the coastline ‘‘took the bulk of the battering’’ during the winds which coincided with a high tide, causing swells of more than 4m early on Wednesday morning.

He said the island had ‘‘lost the front’’, meaning a 3m to 4m drop to the beach in places.

There were still three signposted access points to the beach and parks and trails were still open but would ‘‘require some care’’.

The damage done to the coastline would ‘‘improve with time’’, he said.

‘‘Most of these things will return, it’s an ongoing evolution … what comes around goes around.’’

As the warmer weather nears, it was not only beach-goers being affected by the storm, as cyclists on the Great Taste Trail would have to use a diversion.

Choat said the Great Taste Trail boardwalk from Whakatu Dr to Gladstone Rd deviation down to Lansdowne Rd would be closed ‘‘for some time’’ which meant a detour for cyclists along Lower Queen St.

‘‘The whole boardwalk got lifted.’’

Campgrounds at Kina Beach Reserve and McKee Memorial Reserve were closed due to the level of debris and water, but should reopen next week. Some campers had their tents flooded as the sea surged early on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the aptly named catamaran, Stray Cat which washed up onto dry land at Monaco during the storm and only sustained minor damage, has been safely lifted back to sea.