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'Can still get to the pub': Whangamomona president shrugs off floods

President of the self-declared Republic of Whangamomona John Herlihy. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin The president of the self-declared Republic of Whangamomona in East Taranaki says the area has been hit pretty hard by this week's torrential rain , but he can still make it down to the pub, so things can't be too bad. The Forgotten World Highway was closed between Whangamomona and Taumaranui, and all non-essential travel along the entire SH43 route was discouraged. Forgotten World Highway, SH43. File photo. Photo: 123RF John Herlihy said tourists were turned back at Douglas on the Stratford side, but locals were still allowed through. "We had a pretty bad day on Thursday and yesterday [Friday], but SH43 is closed and the road is closed at Mōkau [SH3] down the bottom, and [Okau Road to] Mount Damper and the Tangarakau Gorge [on SH43] is closed. "Apparently, there's been no traffic come through there [Tangarakau], so I presume it's still closed. There's plenty of important roads at the moment by the sound of it and the Awakino Gorge [SH3] is closed as well, so there's no traffic on the road. It's quiet as, which is unusual for us." The mudslide that has closed SH3 at Awakino in Waitomo. Photo: Supplied / NZTA Herlihy said the area had about 150mm of rain, but a local contractor was able to keep the roads around Whangamomona clear, so people could get into the village. "The water's been pretty high in places across the road, so unless you want to go out, you just stay at home really. I can still get to the pub and have a beer - that's the main thing, because rugby's on tonight. Herlihy, who was picking an All Blacks win by 20 points, said it was a pretty quiet time of year and no guests appeared stranded at the Whangamomona Hotel. "Last night was pretty quiet. There were no outsiders, but they had a group coming in tonight, apparently to stay, but from Stratford to Whangamomona is okay - after that, it's closed. "Some of the locals came back from town [Stratford] last night, and they were stopped at Douglas and told the road was closed. "They were turning around all the tourists trying to get through, because people were trying to get out of Taranaki to go north and they can't come this way either, so they got to go down to Whanganui, if they want to get out of Taranaki at the moment." Meanwhile, he said locals were just getting on with life. "It doesn't really worry us, you know. There's not many people travelling through this way at this time of the year anyway, so it's just what it is. "It's happened before, it will happen again." NZTA said its crews would reassess SH43 on Saturday. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.