Police in Westport say a holiday house was flooded on Tuesday when the Fox River burst its banks after hours of intense rainfall.
A car at the property was also submerged, but the owner managed to lift belongings at the bach, out of reach of the water.
The flooding subsided after about two hours.
Police say the area had not been flooded for at least 40 years.
Otherwise, there was no major disruption elsewhere.
In Canterbury, the old Waimakariri bridge on the Main North Road was closed as river levels rose to trigger points upstream.
Police say some trees fell in Taranaki and there was a minor rockfall on the Ngauranga Gorge north of Wellington.
