Jasper Thompson, centre right, and friends help clear a property in Reavers Lane, Queenstown. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
A trio of Otago university students have travelled to Queenstown to help clear a property that was red-stickered.
Queenstown Lakes District Council carried out building inspections on Reavers Lane yesterday, leaving 10 homes red-stickered and two yellow-stickered after a deluge of rain placed the town in a state of emergency.
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Jasper Thompson got the call on Friday to help clean his aunt's property on Reavers Lane.
He said he convinced his flat mates to travel from Dunedin to help clear the mud blanketing a carport, which had also buried two cars.
Cars buried by slip debris in Reavers Lane, Queenstown. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
"I think we'll probably be here for another day or two. It will take a while for the cars to get out of here.
"We might have to leave that to the heavy machinery once that comes in, but we might give [it] a go," Thompson said.
He said the damage was devastating for residents and property owners who were not allowed inside their homes.
"We were actually meant to come down here and get everything that's damaged inside, but we just can't get in there [because] it's been red-stickered so we're just doing what we can outside," Thompson said.
"I didn't expect it to be this bad to be honest. I didn't know the extent to which the flooding had damaged the place. I have never seen this before.
"Seeing the cars in the state that they're in is pretty scary."
According to the council, 55 people were evacuated from the road yesterday.
"While good progress has been made to divert water in the area to a manhole, further work is required today to clear a blocked culvert at the base of the catchment.
"Once this work is completed later today further assessments of the properties will take place."
The council is posting regular updates on the weather event.
