Watch: Rural road washed away, chunk of hillside slips during Cyclone Gabrielle

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

Manukau Heads Rd on Auckland's Āwhitu Peninsula has lost a chunk across two lanes to a slip.

Parts of the Manukau Heads are now cut off after both lanes on Manukau Heads Rd in Āwhitu were washed away thanks to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Most of the country has been affected by the ex-tropical cyclone, which has left much of the North Island without power, and roads blocked by slips and flooding.

In the Āwhitu Pensinsula, a section of Manukau Heads Rd, has been completely cut in two, with a slip cutting a chunk out of both lanes.

* Cyclone Gabrielle: What will happen next and when will it be over?

* Cyclone Gabrielle: Communities cut off by road closures

Lighthouse Rd on the Awhitu Peninsula has been washed away.

The slip appears to be between Dickey Rd and the Lighthouse Station.

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Fire and Emergency sent two fire trucks on Tuesday morning at 6.20am, but the road is gone.

When Hamish Simpson came across the slip, he said it looked to be about 20 metres wide, with another 200m sliding down underneath it.

'It would have been very frightening if we didn't know it was there,' he said.

But he thinks it would have been hard to miss. 'You would have seen it before it'd become an issue.'

The slip goes down the bank next to the rural road for several metres.

Stuff understands the slip now has road cones positioned around it.

Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport have been approached for comment.

The Lighthouse Station Farm and Lighthouse are inaccessible.

Local MP Andrew Bayly said it's a substantial slip, which came down at some stage overnight.

A local resident and leader of the Waiuku Community Patrol group Peter Sharps said the damage from wind and heavy rains is the worst he's ever seen.

'It's certainly very scary.'

Sharps has set up a community shelter in Pollok Hall, and intends to keep it open as long as needed – he expects the wind to bring down many more trees, cutting off yet more communities overnight.

Local contractors and farmers have set to work clearing slips – the one blocking Āwhitu Rd on Tuesday morning was cleared by a local farmer and the road is now open, he said.

Counties Energy, which delivers power to the region, said access issues for crews are “increasing by the hour” as staff tried to repair damage to the power network on Tuesday.

”We have increased safety concerns for our crews with high numbers of trees falling on roads and slips in our region today.

“We will be calling in crews before complete darkness tonight to keep our people safe.”

There are 5000 Counties Energy customers without power, and gale force winds are increasing from the west, affecting the western coast.

MetService warns Auckland can expect winds of up to 120kph from Tuesday afternoon, and has a severe gale force warning in place until midnight.