The area has been blanketed in snow since Sunday, but traffic finally started moving again yesterday when roading contractors cleared State Highway 87.
‘‘We've been here 14 1 /2 years and this is the biggest one we've ever seen,'' Mr Bardrick said yesterday.
‘‘It [the snow] would easily have been 40cm-45cm deep.
‘‘We had one that was 30cm deep about nine years ago, but this one was much bigger than that,'' he said.
‘‘We've been trapped here for four days. We've been completely stuck since Sunday.
‘‘Fortunately, one of our neighbours turned up on a bulldozer and cleared the drive, so I could get the car out.
‘‘We' had the odd customer most days. Well . . . one. We've had one turn up most days.
‘‘We've been getting a few calls from Middlemarch people who have been going stir crazy.''
However, there had been a silver lining.
‘‘You're busy seven days a week in the pub, so it's been quite nice, having a four-day holiday.''
New Zealand Transport Agency coastal Otago area manager Roger Bailey said yesterday SH87 was the last Otago highway to be cleared.
‘‘It's the biggest one I've seen up there. No doubt about it. We had five large loaders, a grader and four snowploughs working on it.
‘‘It's usually not as widespread as that. This was quite spectacular in terms of how extensive it was.''
The snow may be disappearing but freezing temperatures and black ice on the roads are still a reminder that winter is not yet over.
Weather Watch yesterday warned last night's temperature would drop as low as -10degC in some areas in the lower and central South Island.
Head weather analyst Philip Duncan said severe frosts were expected in Southland and Otago last night.
Drivers were urged to exercise caution because of black ice.
- Additional reporting NZPA
