Ice and snow keep police busy
Helping a drunk woman sitting in snow in Te Anau could have been the most unusual job for southern police overnight, but it was not the only weather-related emergency.
A police spokesman said Te Anau police noticed a woman sitting in snow in the popular tourism town and offered her a ride home.
About 3.30am, three large trucks became stuck in snow in Manuka Gorge, between Milton and Raes Junction.
Police were able to get the trucks moving again with help from farmers, the spokesman said.
About the same time, a car became stuck in snow when travelling between Dunedin and Gore, while at 3.42am police were called to a crash in which a car had slid in snow and hit a ditch on WintonLorneville Highway, but there were no injuries.
SH 93 between Mataura and Clinton was closed overnight Saturday, and remained closed yesterday, while the closure of SH94 between Te Anau and Milford Sound was lifted about 1pm yesterday. Caution was advised on SH 6 between Kawarau Falls and Lumsden because of snow and ice.
In Invercargill, MetService predicted temperatures would drop to 0 degC overnight, but to expect a high 8 degC today. Te Anau’s overnight temperature is expected to be -3degC, while Gore should drop to 1 degC overnight.
Meanwhile, a major slip closed the road between Wanaka and the West Coast until at least this morning. State Highway 6 was closed between Wanaka and the West Coast after a slip occurred overnight Saturday. The slip is near Boundary Creek, between Makarora and the ‘‘neck’’ of Lake Wanaka.
It covered highway. both lanes of the