Down comes the hillside and blocks access

A tree and landslip pin down Polly Mustard's  Audi A3. Photos by Stephen Jaquiery.
A tree and landslip pin down Polly Mustard's Audi A3. Photos by Stephen Jaquiery.

Blanket Bay resident Polly Mustard thought she had prepared for the worst when she parked her car down the road from her house to make sure she could get to work on time if forecast snow blocked her driveway.

The snow never eventuated, but she still did not make it to work - a large tree fell on her car.

She was woken about 12.30am yesterday by a cracking sound. When she investigated, she discovered the tree had crashed on to her silver Audi A3, damaging it, and blocking Blanket Bay Rd. A landslip on Upper Junction Rd led to the collapse of the tree. Her car was shunted 1m-2m along Blanket Bay Rd.

''I heard an almighty crack and heard trees come down and I knew it was on my car.''

Another tree had also fallen and left debris all over her driveway, preventing the Mercy Hospital nurse leaving her property.

The asphalt driveway had been resealed only a month ago.

''I'm gutted. It's a hassle isn't it? Just a hassle.''

Emergency services were called and two fire trucks, from Port Chalmers and Willowbank Fire Services, attended.

Port Chalmers station officer Anthony O'Neill said six officers were only able to gain access to Miss Mustard's driveway by laying down an extended ladder through a slippery forested area.

The volunteer firefighters also witnessed the slip of about 30-40m of Upper Junction Rd, which was parallel to Blanket Bay Rd.

Dunedin City Council roading maintenance engineer Peter Standring said a geotechnical engineer had examined the site and was ''reasonably confident'' the area was stable.

''It will be a couple of days before the driveway and the Blanket Bay Rd slip are cleared,'' he said. Occupants of two Upper Junction Rd properties, who were evacuated on Wednesday night as a precaution, had returned home, he said.

St Clair resident Barry Gibson said homes near the St Clair Salt Water Pool had a lucky escape after a large macrocarpa tree came down, bringing masses of dirt with it in a slip that stopped in his and neighbours' backyards.

The fence of a property above came down, leaving the house a mere 40cm from the edge.

The Dunedin City Council said 30 roads in the city area were closed last night because of snow, slips or flooding.

Mr Standring said conditions were changing hourly as rain continued, especially in Portobello Rd. Contractors were doing as much as they could to clear slips, he said.

Forecast high winds were a serious concern given saturated ground meant

trees could more easily be toppled by gusts.

Two areas in wider Dunedin were affected by power outages. The Portobello Rd slip resulted in a few customers being put on an alternative supply and a slip in the Silverstream Valley in Mosgiel interrupted some supplies there.

 

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