Hanmer Springs is gearing up for a busy summer season after a storm ripped through the town, forcing many popular walking tracks to close.
Gusts of more than 200km/h swept through the Canterbury tourist area on October 23, uprooting trees, overturning irrigator pivots and uplifting roofs and fences.
Popular trails like Alligator Alley, Easy River and Perseverance could be out of action for several months, but it is hoped the popular Conical Hill Walk will be open before Christmas.
Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said there is still a lot of work to be done across the district.
“The storm had a huge impact for significant numbers of people.
“The track network in Hanmer Springs took a hit, so it was important to get the tracks open for mental health and fresh air.
“We saw golf clubs with trees down and wind damage. A lot of people rely on that for recreation and social activities.
“All of these things have a significant impact.”
Mountain bike and walking trails are popular with locals and visitors, and volunteers have been out clearing them for everyone to enjoy.
Among them is local Graham Frith.
“I’ve been living here 45 years and that’s the worst wind I’ve experienced,” Frith said.
Trees were uprooted in the Hanmer Heritage Forest, with many leaving towering root structures.
But getting as many trails open as quickly as possible is a priority for the volunteers, Frith said.
“It’s an attraction that brings people to Hanmer, so it was important to get them open to support our businesses.”
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa general manager Sarah Wiblin said the town enjoyed a busy Labour Weekend and a successful Hanmer Springs Fête on November 1.
“Businesses are saying they were about 1% down on numbers compared to Labour Weekend last year.
“It’s important for them to have a good Labour Weekend and Show Weekend as they come out of winter, and to get them on track for summer.
“The headlines said Hanmer was flattened and people thought the fête was going to be cancelled and that certainly had an impact.
“There was plenty of damage, but the power was on by Friday lunchtime and businesses were open.”
Wiblin said she was impressed with how locals rallied round, with people out with chainsaws once the winds died down, and people turning up to feed volunteers and emergency services personnel and checking on neighbours.
A school group of 150 children were camping at the Hanmer Springs Forest Camp when the storm struck.
After they escaped the camp site on Friday morning, they were stuck in Hanmer Springs until the roads opened late afternoon.
Wiblin said the children had a free swim and a round of mini golf to keep them occupied.
“A few of the teachers were a little bit stressed, but the kids were having the time of their lives.
“We needed to sort out afternoon tea and a meal for the kids, so I went to the Four Square and they loaded up my trolley.
“It was really about the community coming together and our team of life guards had lots of fun making sandwiches.”
Matariki Forests Ltd regional manager Hamish McConnon said an estimated 800ha of trees had been blown across plantations at Hanmer Springs, Balmoral (near Culverden), and in private forests and farm woodlots.
Around 12ha of trees were blown over across the Hanmer Heritage Forest.
McConnon said harvesting crews were busy harvesting uprooted trees in Balmoral and Hanmer Forests.
“Following the extreme wind event, we arranged for a forestry excavator to clear the fallen trees off the roads in Hanmer Heritage Forest so they could reopen.”
McConnon said Matariki Forests is working on a harvest plan to “salvage windblown areas” in the Hanmer Heritage Forest and is working with the Hanmer Heritage Forest Trust to ensure public safely and to re-open the walking and mountain biking trails as quickly as possible.
“In time, these areas will be replanted to ensure a healthy mixed age forest.”
It is too early to estimate the extent of the losses, he said.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
