{"id":286625,"date":"2026-02-16T10:49:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T10:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/286625\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T10:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T10:49:10","slug":"farmer-clears-path-for-trapped-vehicles-with-tractor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/286625\/","title":{"rendered":"Farmer clears path for trapped vehicles with tractor"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Amy Williams and Rowan Quinn of RNZ<\/a><\/p>\n

Cars blocked by a slip in rural Taihape are now free after a local farmer cleared a path for them with his tractor.<\/p>\n

About 20 cars were stuck for several hours between a flood and a slip in the remote area of Turakina Valley Rd where there was no cell coverage.<\/p>\n

Rangitikei Mayor Andy Watson says the cars were able to be driven out and he believed they were now heading to Taihape.<\/p>\n

Watson previously said he understood it was a local farmer who raised the alarm, calling emergency services to report what he could see.<\/p>\n

It had been very hard to get information, he said.<\/p>\n

It appears the cars took a back route after State Highway 1 was closed.<\/p>\n

“They’ve found flood water that was too deep to drive through then slip has come down behind them and effectively blocked their path,” he said.<\/p>\n

Residents in the wider district have told RNZ there are trees blocking may roads, with people not able to get to work.<\/p>\n

State Highway 1 has been closed around Taihape.<\/p>\n

Watson said some of the roads the cars took would normally only see “half a dozen” cars a day, he said.<\/p>\n

Rangitikei District Council said contractors were working to clear debris, and it was working with Civil Defence on a response to the situation.<\/p>\n

Police said they were notified at 12.30pm.<\/p>\n

St John said it had so far not been required.<\/p>\n

Establishing communication the priority<\/p>\n

Manawat\u016b-Whanganui Civil Defence said its first priority was to establish communication with those who were trapped.<\/p>\n

State Highway 1 was closed between Hunterville and Waiouru and people should not use Turakina Valley Rd as a detour, it said.<\/p>\n

Many other local roads were also closed.<\/p>\n

People should avoid non-essential travel because the roads were treacherous from fallen trees and the possibility for landslides.<\/p>\n

Winiata Marae opens to stranded travellers<\/p>\n

About 80 people are sheltering at Winiata Marae, in Taihape, which has opened to stranded travellers.<\/p>\n

The marae’s chairman Jordan Winiata said they were travellers who had become stranded, unable to reach their destinations.<\/p>\n

“They’re stranded because of what’s happening on the highways, we’ve got some InterCity buses, just multiple travellers that would have been going from A to B that unfortunately have been caught in between the roads being open and closed.”<\/p>\n

He said the marae was preparing to host those stranded overnight and had capacity for 300.<\/p>\n

Winiata said the power was out at the marae, but they had a generator and running water and gas for cooking.<\/p>\n

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