Latest news with #Dovedale
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Clean up continues for Tasman District in wake of widespread flood damage
Jim Papps standing in front of one of his tractors following bad weather in Tasman District. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ Throughout the Tasman District, the clean up continues after two floods caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, farms and orchards. For Jim Papps, that's meant scraping mud off the driveway of his Dovedale home and out of his sheds, for the second time in as many weeks. Papps and his wife Maureen built their home near the Dove River in 1954 and said they've never seen anything like what happened in the last three weeks. They've experienced flooding before, but this was on a different scale. "[It's] the biggest flood that we've ever seen, we've had some big floods that have come over the paddock here a few times but this one was the biggest one. Well, it was two floods." Papps' collection of 14 old tractors are surrounded by silt and sludge. His workshop has a layer of mud through it and there is wood and other debris still strewn across the yard. One of Jim Papps tractors stuck in the mud at his Dovedale home following the floods. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ The couple have spent the last few days scraping mud and silt off their property, retrieving items that floated downstream and clearing up debris. During the first flood, just over three weeks ago, Papps said he woke in the early hours of the morning and went to check on the river level. "I got up and shone a spotlight out the toilet window and I couldn't believe what I was seeing, the water was flowing through the yard... and I knew darn well then that it would have been going in our carport down the bottom." He then went to check on his neighbour, Paul Harper, who for the last 20 years or so had lived in a house bus between the couple's home and the river. "[Harper] was standing on the porch at the back of his house bus and he was panicking because he couldn't get out, the water was that swift and deep between the shed and his house bus," Papps said. Papps said the volume of water rushing through the property made quite a lot of noise. Jim Papps and his neighbour Paul Harper on their property next to the Dove River, in Dovedale. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ "I shouted out to him and said, 'I'll get the tractor and come round and bring you out on that', which I got in the bucket of the loader and I brought him out." Harper said when he awoke and opened the back door of his house truck, he wondered if he was going to get swept away. "I looked at that water and I thought, there is no way I can step into force of it was just absolutely frightening. "If it wasn't for the neighbours and for the family here, I reckon I could have bloody died." Papps and Harper moved the truck away from the river the following week when further heavy rain was forecast and Harper then missed the second flood last Friday, as he'd left in the morning to get some milk and by the time he came back, the roads were closed. The flood also washed out the approach to the nearby Cowin Bridge, and has left a huge lagoon in part of the nearby Dove River that was once a paddock. Mud and silt at Jim Papps home in Dovedale. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ On both occasions, Harper said was fortunate not to get water inside the truck, with it flowing only an inch or so below the floor. But his tool shed and wood store had been completely washed away and since Friday, he'd been cleaning up, non-stop. He was feeling, tired, burnt out and frightened. "Every time it rains, my cat disappears, I'm wide awake, and it's like, oh no, not again and it could only be just a few spits." Harper already had plans to move to Oamaru next month, but said the floods had pushed that out as he needed to dig his truck out and get it going again. "I won't park beside a river ever again, bloody way." Debris by the side of the Dove River in Dovedale. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ A helicopter landed in the paddock beside the couple's home on Tuesday, with Nelson Tasman Civil Defence checking in on their welfare. Civil Defence visited about 300 properties in Tasman on Monday as they continued to survey flood damage. Teams on Tuesday were focused on Graham Valley, Rocky River, Mārahau, Thorpe, Golden Downs, Tapawera, and Ngātīmoti. The state of emergency in Nelson Tasman will be lifted on Thursday, as the battered area moves into a one-month transition period. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Dovedale residents cut off without water, power, after devastating floods
Dovedale flood damage, 13 July 2025. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Dovedale residents remain isolated and without basic services more than two weeks after floods first tore through the rural Tasman valley, with roads and bridges destroyed, homes damaged, and vital infrastructure still out of action. Chunks of roads and bridges have been taken out by floodwaters in Dovedale, cutting off access for some, while sheds have been destroyed and paddocks have been inundated with thick silt. On Sunday, contractors were working to fill a large hole in Bests Bridge with mounds of dirt after it was damaged during the latest deluge. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Vicky Thorn has been without water for 16 days because the pipe connecting her home to the council's water supply was damaged in the floods that struck the region in June. Her garage and front garden are full of mud, but she said it's impossible to clean up without water. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Further up the valley, Dove River has eaten into Thorn Road, and shards of tarmac have broken off and are lying in the mud. It's too dangerous to drive on right now. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Vanita Anderson, who lives in Dovedale near Eden Valley Road, said she is still without power and water. She said she cannot have showers or flush toilets. They have been collecting rainwater and boiling it. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer "It is really stressful and you feel exhausted all the time because you're on edge thinking, oh gosh, what's next." She said her neighbours have been affected, with some cut off by road. Dovedale flood damage. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer "It's the whole loss of power. Are you able to get in and out of the area? Seeing all the damage to the bridges, it really does stress you out," Anderson said. Some residents told RNZ Civil Defence had done some helicopter drop offs to Dovedale residents last night. John Drummond, another local, estimated about 100 properties were still without power. His land has been hit hard, with four major slips and a thick coating of gravel, silt and debris. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer "The clean-up - I was just talking to my son - is what scares me," he said. "That's going to be a real big job." Permanent boil water notices remain in place for Dovedale, Redwood Valley and 88 Valley, and a conserve water notice remains in force for the Dovedale community. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Dovedale residents cut off 16 days without water, power after devastating floods
Dovedale flood damage, 13 July 2025. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Dovedale residents remain isolated and without basic services more than two weeks after floods first tore through the rural Tasman valley, with roads and bridges destroyed, homes damaged, and vital infrastructure still out of action. Chunks of roads and bridges have been taken out by floodwaters in Dovedale, cutting off access for some, while sheds have been destroyed and paddocks have been inundated with thick silt. On Sunday, contractors were working to fill a large hole in Bests Bridge with mounds of dirt after it was damaged during the latest deluge. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Vicky Thorn has been without water for 16 days because the pipe connecting her home to the council's water supply was damaged in the floods that struck the region in June. Her garage and front garden are full of mud, but she said it's impossible to clean up without water. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Further up the valley, Dove River has eaten into Thorn Road, and shards of tarmac have broken off and are lying in the mud. It's too dangerous to drive on right now. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer Vanita Anderson, who lives in Dovedale near Eden Valley Road, said she is still without power and water. She said she cannot have showers or flush toilets. They have been collecting rainwater and boiling it. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer "It is really stressful and you feel exhausted all the time because you're on edge thinking, oh gosh, what's next." She said her neighbours have been affected, with some cut off by road. Dovedale flood damage. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer "It's the whole loss of power. Are you able to get in and out of the area? Seeing all the damage to the bridges, it really does stress you out," Anderson said. Some residents told RNZ Civil Defence had done some helicopter drop offs to Dovedale residents last night. John Drummond, another local, estimated about 100 properties were still without power. His land has been hit hard, with four major slips and a thick coating of gravel, silt and debris. Photo: RNZ/Ellen O'Dwyer "The clean-up - I was just talking to my son - is what scares me," he said. "That's going to be a real big job." Permanent boil water notices remain in place for Dovedale, Redwood Valley and 88 Valley, and a conserve water notice remains in force for the Dovedale community. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Peak District walks with 'breathtaking scenery' among UK's must-visit valley trails
Two walking routes in the Peak District have been named among the UK's must-visit valley walks. Outdoor experts at GO Outdoors have revealed the top 10 UK valleys to visit this summer, using AllTrails reviews and Google search data to come up with the list. Dovedale Stepping Stones Circular in Dovedale and Castleton and Cave Dale in Cave Dale have been named among the must-visit valleys for this summer. See what GO Outdoors had to say about each walking route. GO Outdoors considered a few factors when coming up with its ranking, including the number of reviews on AllTrails and the rating given on the walking site (scored out of five), trail distance (km) and an overall score out of 10. Dovedale Stepping Stones Circular is a 5km route and has 403 AllTrails reviews and a rating of 4.6. Its overall score from GO Outdoors is 7.2. The Castleton and Cave Dale walk is slightly longer at 5.5km and it has 469 AllTrails reviews with a rating of 4.4. Its overall score issued by GO Outdoors is 5.97. Located near Ashbourne, AllTrails says the Dovedale Stepping Stones Circular route is 'moderately challenging' and takes an hour and 32 minutes to complete, on average. It added: 'Parking is free in a lay-by, followed by a small walk down the road before getting into the fields to start. 'The path leads across stepping stones over River Dove, then up the steep hill of Thorpe Cloud to a beautiful viewpoint. The river can be tough to cross certain times of year, so come prepared.' The Castleton and Cave Dale walk is an 'out-and-back' route near Castleton and takes an average of one hour and 56 minutes to complete. All Trails said ramblers can expect 'breaktaking scenery' when looking at the limestone cliffs. It added: 'This is a lovely trail exploring Castleton and taking you through the beautiful limestone valley of Cave Dale in the Peak District National Park.' Sam Chadwick, blog author and outdoor enthusiast at GO Outdoors, said: 'When visiting valleys, it is best to wear comfortable and supportive footwear as there is often uneven terrain. Recommended reading: 5 circular walks you can do near Bolton this spring including 'beautiful' route Peak District walk with nearby pubs named best UK hike from a train station Best spots to watch the sunset and catch 'stunning' views in the Peak District 'On more difficult hikes, such as Coire Gabhail, it may be a good idea to take supportive equipment such as walking poles. 'This will help you stay steady on your feet and make the experience of tougher hikes more enjoyable. 'It is always important to check how you feel throughout any walk. If you feel out of breath, or that a walk is too hard, turn back.'
