A two-hour downpour yesterday morning was followed by sunny weather and people were back to their usual outdoor activities of biking, walking, boating and swimming.
However, track damage in Mt Aspiring National Park and Queenstown Lakes areas has sparked a Department of Conservation warning to be wary of track conditions.
Tracks remain open but several are at risk of landslips or undermining, following the recent heavy rain and floods, Doc Wanaka area manager Paul Hellebrekers said yesterday.
The full extent of damage in the back country was not yet known.
In the Mt Aspiring National Park, Big Creek Bridge in the lower West Matukituki Valley is closed until further notice due to flood damage and river crossing experience is required.
Liverpool Stream swing bridge has been destroyed.
River-crossing experience is required at both bridge sites.
Mr Hellebrekers said repairs were being done on the Big Creek bridge but the Liverpool Stream bridge would not be rebuilt until spring.
"The tracks remain open. However, we ask the public to be vigilant when walking or biking.
"Minor flooding has occurred and several sections of the tracks have been washed away or been affected by landslips," Mr Hellebrekers said.
Popular fishing access and recreational tracks linking Lake Hawea, Wanaka, Albert Town and Luggate have sustained some damage, but remain open.
Mr Hellebrekers is asking people to report further track damage in the Wanaka region to Doc.
Other track damage, according to the Doc website: Rees/Dart Track, damage to be assessed; not recommended until this assessment is complete; Greenstone/Caples, windfalls and minor damage; a washout about 3km downstream of Greenstone Hut can be bypassed on a scree slope; caution required; Rob Roy Glacier track, undermined track edge on various sections; extreme caution required; Gillespie Pass Track, Young Valley, unstable slip; caution required, Gillespie Pass, landslip dam in the North Branch of Young Valley still poses potential risks; avoid valley during periods of heavy rain.
Lake levels and river flows in the Wanaka and Lake Hawea region continued to slowly drop yesterday, despite an unwelcome rainfall between 9am and 11am.
Lake Wanaka's level held steady at about 278.9m above sea level, half a metre below the first flood alert level of 279.4m.
Flooding in Wanaka is likely at 280m.
Lake Hawea was also steady at 345.2m, nearly a metre below its controlled maximum of 346m for power generation.
The Clutha River was still flowing above the first alert level of 600 cumecs at Albert Town, but had dropped from 700cumecs on Friday to 626 cumecs yesterday.
Makarora received 11mm of rain in the 24 hours to 4pm.
In the same period, Cascade Hut received 15.5mm and Albert Burn 16.5mm.
