Drivers on some South Island roads are being urged to take extreme care due to black ice on roads.
Photo: RNZ
Police have warned that drizzle has frozen on some surfaces and there is likely to be black ice on roads across the South Island.
They have issued warnings of black ice in Canterbury, Southland and Otago.
There have already been several crashes on State Highway One between Dunsandel and Ashburton, they said.
State Highway 73 from Arthurs Pass to Springfield is open, except to towing vehicles, but chains are essential.
Flights have just started landing again in Queenstown airport, after delays this morning due to an icy runway.
Three flights into Queenstown this morning had been delayed, with flights arriving up to an hour late, but the first flight has now landed in Queenstown.
Meanwhile, The Remarkables ski area near Queenstown is set to open for the season today - a week later than planned.
It was supposed to open last weekend but construction of a new base building caused delays.
The building is part of a $45 million investment in new facilities, including a high-speed chairlift at Curvey Basin, which opened last year.
Staff at the Remarkables ski field. Photo: SUPPLIED
Ski area manager Ross Lawrence said nine months of hard work will pay off when people get onto the field.
He said a lot of snow had fallen in the past two weeks and the slopes looked fantastic.
