Supplies Flown In After 'Huge' Landslide Cuts Off Motueka Valley Homes

Residents of the Motueka Valley are once again facing the challenges of isolation, this time due to a massive landslide that has severed road access to several homes. The situation has forced emergency supplies to be delivered by helicopter, highlighting the ongoing struggle of communities recovering from two major floods within weeks of each other.

Cornelia Vervoorn, one of the affected residents, described the chaos that unfolded during the second flood: "The second bout of weather was even more intense than the first. We watched the river get higher and higher and we knew there was likely to be some rockfall on the road leading to our place. But when we actually investigated it, it turned out there were six slips, one of which was really huge and totally impassable."

Despite the destruction, Vervoorn and her neighbors were fortunate that their home was on a hill with good drainage, which spared it from damage. However, they were left without power for a week and have been unable to access their home by road for nearly two weeks. "We're really lucky in that regard, but we ended up without power for a week and there's no road access to our house," she said.

Helicopter crews have been instrumental in delivering essential supplies, including food, a generator, and even a bottle of wine for Vervoorn’s personal enjoyment. "That made a difference, we could charge up phones and we had the wood burner, which was fantastic and I figured out how to make bread in a cast iron pot...so it was all very little house on the prairie."

The Tasman District Council has confirmed that several homes in the Graham Valley Road and Hinetai Road remain cut off. Supplies have been dropped by helicopter, and another delivery is planned for the upcoming week. "We are looking at alternative access for next week and particularly how we get groceries and food items to them if they can't get out and we're working on other plans rather than having to rely on choppers," said Richard Kirby, the council’s group recovery manager.

The emotional toll of the disaster has been significant. "There was just a lot of emotion, a lot of tears. People are just starting to struggle emotionally with the second impact the second flood...I'm noticing there's a lot of anxiety around next week and a potential third event coming," said a flood relief navigator from the Tasman District Council.

Meanwhile, efforts to restore power and road access continue. Network Tasman has restored electricity to most homes affected by the storms, though two homes on Riwaka-Sandy Bay Road remain without power due to a damaged pole and transformer. Work is also underway to repair state highways, with disruptions expected to continue through the end of the year.

The resilience of the local community has been a beacon of hope, with neighbors and volunteers coming together to support those in need. However, the long road to recovery remains, with many families still waiting for the roads to be fully restored and for life to return to normal.