Waylander stranded in the Coromandel...

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 11:37

As you can see by the email below... its flooded in the Coromandel.
Waylander is north of Whitianga at the moment heading to Coromandel township....

Trying to find out if the roads are reopened yet to get him and his mum back to Tauranga...

They are now trying to go down the east side of SH25 then through the gorge on SH2. that open to one lane. Just need info on the east side of the Coro Loop.

I am in contact with Waylander via txt..
If you guys know if the roads are re opened please let me know.
Cheers.

NZ Police CommCens Alert 05:30 17-07-2005 Waikato

Location of incident: Coromandel

Incident Type: Flooding

The Coromandel has been hit overnight with severe weather.
Heavy flooding has caused the Karangahake George to be closed to traffic.
SH25(Tirua Rd)near the intersection with Morrison Rd at Hikuai is also closed.Several motorists on SH 25 had to be rescued from their vehicles when they became stranded by water flooding the road.
There are no reported casualties or evactuations at this stage.
Media will be updated when more information comes to hand.

Issued by: Inspector Gavin MacDonald

**marty** · 17th July 2005, 12:03

the road between matarangi and coro usually floods at a low point near whangapoa. likewise, there is a low point just outside whitianga on the south highway where the creek run under the road. if you're stuck between the both of them, you're stuffed. if you can get to the end of the south highway out of whitianga, (3 k's past the flooded creek) you can go over the 309 to coromandel, but i wouldn't recommend it on a road bike, or with your mother in the car, and it often has slips etc - it has grass growing down the middle of it....

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 12:15

Just had a txt from the lad...
He is taking notes and taking pic's on his wee adventure

He thinks he can make it throu... as I have passed on info to him from this site..
http://www.aaroadwatch.co.nz/index.html

Warned him to watch out for the slips..... and to take it easy...
Now I'm not sure who is driving the car... him or his mum....

but he is the one txting me...

Thank goodness for free txting on 021 to 021.

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 13:02

Another txt from the lad....
They are in Thames NOW...

Waihi was struck real bad. overnight...
Pauanui to Tairua CLOSED off...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update... Pissing down in Waihi again and they may close off the gorge but again...

So Waylander is now heading to Paeroa... and then he may have to head over the Kaimai's if they can't get throu the gorge.....

A flaming long drive home from the Coromandel...

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 13:28

I have to say that the "Trade Me" message board has been a wonderful help...
I started a thread up there and all the good folk in all the towns in the area have been passing on info...

The folks in these towns are stranded themselves, yet passing on any info to help Waylander and his mum to get home...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/m...readid=5033379

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 13:49

Txt from Waylander:

"Two bikes just passed us on the way to the gorge"

Hmmm wonder if they are any KBers.....

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 13:57

Well he got throu here in the nick of time....

NZ Police CommCens Alert 13:00 17-07-2005 Waikato

Location of incident: Whitianga - Coromandel

Incident Type: Road blocked

The Number 309 Road, Whitianga. That runs between Coromandel township and Whitianga is blocked by trees that have washed out. This is approximately 30 km from Whitianga. Thames district council are attending.
Issued by: Inspector Gavin MacDonald

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 14:07

talk about a wee running commentary.... hehehe

Ok the lad went throu the gorge... heading to Waihi....

There was a mud slip in the gorge that has almost been cleaned up...
Had the "Stop and Go" lads out... directing traffic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TXT just came in:
"At Waihi now no sign of flooding yet but we are just at town centre"

so another half hour or so and he should be back on line....
with all his pictures of his little adventure....

**crashe** · 17th July 2005, 14:57

Wohoooo just got a txt.....

The lad and family are now back in Tauranga...

So over to him now...... to fill ya all in....

Hey Waylander ya owe me a

or

ok....

**marty** · 17th July 2005, 16:02

the 309 is not exactly a highway - there are long driveways that are in better nick that this road...

probably only sees 50 cars a day in the off season

**Waylander** · 17th July 2005, 16:15

Bleh. Hate stupid rain. Nice road otherwise. Damn glad I didn't take the bike up north. The road out to Opito bay was gravel and dirt so would never have left the batch we were staying at. Then all the mud slips and flooding...

Would be really fun on a nice dry day though. Gonna have to orginize me a ride up there in the summer.

My mom's friend was driving, we were in a Range Rover. Drew (the driver) is a big off-road buff so non of this really bothered him. He would have even chanced the flooded out area near Tairua if it wasn't nearly a kilometer long, muddy enough to not be able to see the road and deep enough to swallow half the rover. (picture of it in the road conditions update thread)

So we just turned around and headed back then came down on the other side of the peninsula. Not fun cramped with heaps of moms luggage and smelly sea shells in the car.

**placidfemme** · 18th July 2005, 07:25

Good to see you made it back safely

**Toast** · 18th July 2005, 17:45

Originally Posted by marty

the road between matarangi and coro usually floods at a low point near whangapoa. likewise, there is a low point just outside whitianga on the south highway where the creek run under the road. if you're stuck between the both of them, you're stuffed. if you can get to the end of the south highway out of whitianga, (3 k's past the flooded creek) you can go over the 309 to coromandel, but i wouldn't recommend it on a road bike, or with your mother in the car, and it often has slips etc - it has grass growing down the middle of it....

When I lived on the 'mandel, the 309 road was pretty fun in a 4wd Suby wagon, except for the assholes in the Pajeros, etc who would use the whole width of the dirt road and not slow a bit for you...but yeah, would suck on a road bike.

Someone told me it's been sealed recently, at least a good part of it. Is this true?