Tourists stranded in Haast for the past 48 hours have finally been able to leave the town after the state highway reopened earlier this morning.
Photo: RNZ
The Transport Agency said it was now turning its attention towards clearing debris and shoring up sea defences along the coast.
Many parts of the country were lashed by wild weather last week, when ex-tropical cyclone Fehi hit the country.
Civil Defence today flew food and extra personnel into Haast, where hundreds of tourists had been trapped by slips.
Haast has its own power supply, so its water and sewage remained intact, and everyone there had been told to stay put.
The Transport Agency initially said it would be at least early afternoon before the 100 metre long slip on SH6 south of the town and the road north to Franz Josef could be cleared.
However, the road was re-opened at 11am.
West Coast group controller Allan Wilson said staff in emergency operations centres in Haast and Hokitika had been working long hours and were relieved by reinforcements.
Meanwhile, a dozen homes in Buller District have been red-stickered, which means they are uninhabitable, and others have been yellow-stickered, indicating they need repairs.
