Extent of flood damage unknown

A Fiordland tourism operator is now wiping off his 2020 season and is just looking forward to next year after significant flooding has disrupted parts of the area.

Destination Fiordland board member Steve Norris said as the Routeburn and Milford tracks were closed, Fiordland businesses were ‘‘trying to make honey from s..t’’. ‘‘That money is dead and gone now, bring on the 2021 season.’’

The Department of Conservation is now working out the extent of damage to tourism infrastructure.

While access to, and surveillance of, tramping tracks was limited by road damage, private tourism operators are busy refunding trampers.

More than 1 metre of rain fell in parts of Fiordland in just over 60 hours between Sunday and Tuesday, causing major flooding, landslides and trapping hundreds of tourists and trampers.

A state of emergency was declared as major roads and bridges were inundated with water.

The Routeburn Track has been closed indefinitely and people who booked before the end of the summer season will be given a full refund.

The Milford Track also required significant repair work and will be closed to the public for at least three weeks.

Norris, who operates Fiordland Trips & Tramps, said wild weather was to be expected in that part of the world. ‘‘It’s one of the wettest places in the world, every once in a while it is going to be an extreme event,’’ Norris said. ‘‘Fortunately it isn’t twice a year. You’ve just got to suck it up and get on with it.’’

Department southern South Island operations director Aaron Fleming said it was too early to estimate the dollar value of what infrastructure had been damaged.

‘‘The picture is still unfolding,’’ Fleming said.

About 75 DOC tracks are closed and about 30 are estimated to have damage, Fleming stressing the number is an estimate.

Surveillance of damaged areas had been carried out by air, and Fleming acknowledged ‘‘this is a challenging time’’ for tourism operators. Tracks could reopen this season, but that would be dependant on road access for department staff to reach affected areas, he said.

Fleming also reiterated Norris’ point, that wet weather was a part of life in Fiordland. ‘‘This is a part of the world that does receive a lot of rain, this rain was just with an intensity we have not seen in recent history,’’ Fleming said.

Fleming was proudest of department who kept their cool on Tuesday, when 30 people were staying in the Howden Hut on the Routeburn Track and a ‘‘roaring’’ landslide with rocks, mud and trees crashed into the building.

The department said in a statement assessments of both the Milford and Routeburn tracks had shown ‘‘extensive damage that will take time to repair’’.

‘‘Our priority is ensuring people’s safety. No access to either track will be possible while we undertake this repair work.’’

People who had booked the Milford Track for the period up to February 29 will also be given a full refund for bookings made through the Great Walks system.

The Kepler Great Walk remains open and operational.

Cruise ship visits to Milford Sound have been cancelled because floating debris brought down by the recent storm is a navigation hazard.

So far six ships carrying almost 12,000 passengers have had to bypass the sound which is a highlight for cruises around New Zealand.

However, Great South general manager for tourism Bobbi Brown said the flooding might have had a positive impact on tourism in the region. ‘‘Visitors are raving about how well they’re being looked after ... all I’m hearing is stories about how the locals are helping.’’