Farmers in the Waitotara valley, west of Whanganui, are still isolated after last week's flood washed out their main road.
Flooding in Waitotara valley. Photo: Supplied
Helicopters are delivering essential supplies to those cut off, some of whom may have to wait weeks for the road to re-open.
A weekend hunting trip in the valley has turned into a 10-day stay for Taumaranui's Michael Wakeling, whose been stranded on his cousins' farm.
Mr Wakeling said he had been kept busy repairing flood damage.
"Pulling sheep out of slips, standing up creek blocks, keeping stock off the roads and keeping them in the paddocks," he said.
"Their covered yards are all under water, there's silt right up to the top of their drafting race, that still needs cleaning ... slips have taken out fences onto the road, the water has peeled the tar seal off the road. Trees have fallen down left, right and centre. You can't take a quad bike any where on the farm because most of the tracks are all slipped away.
"We've got one food package, some spaghetti and weetbix, porridge, toilet paper and bread.
"There's not really a lot we can do at this point until we get some fencing gear and until they can clear the silt out of everything."
Mr Wakeling said the road to where he was staying 35km up the valley could be open by today or tomorrow.
