The day fire engine-sized boulders smashed down onto a Queenstown road
As boulders the size of fire engines hurtled down the cliff towards him, Dunedin electrician Clive Kirkland knew it was matter of life or death.
It was September 2000, and he was on the second day of a South Island motorbike tour with five mates.
They had spent the previous night in Queenstown and were heading towards Wānaka when they spotted rocks on the road below the towering Nevis Bluff, on State Highway 6.
They stopped to see what was happening and noticed rocks the size of footballs popping out of the cliff face above them.
“It was like someone would spit a berry fruit ... like they were under pressure. It was so amazing to see.”
Two of their group proceeded through the rocks while the rest decided to turn back.
“Then all of a sudden it just opened up, and this big rock slip came pouring down on the road.”
The boom from the collapse was heard across surrounding vineyards and the dust cloud could be seen from 5 kilometres away.
Witnesses described the boulders as being as large as houses. Kirkland said they were the size of fire trucks.
“It was almost time to get off our bikes and run for our lives. It just happened so quick.
“It was life or death.”
When the slip stopped the rocks were piled so high that Kirkland and his friends could not see over them.
Ever since giant boulders fell in 2000, work has been ongoing to stabilise the Nevis Bluff.
“We were sitting there worried about our friends, then one of them came rock climbing over the top of the rocks and waves and says ‘we’re OK’.
“He shouldn’t have gone over there. He was a bit of an adventurer.”
Waka Kotahi estimated about 10,000 cubic metres of rock fell – about a third of a much larger fall in 1975.
After the fall in 2000, it took two weeks for the road between Queenstown and Cromwell to reopen and led to an ongoing monitoring regime, stabilisation work and controlled explosions.
In today’s dollar value, it has so far cost about $23 million to protect a road estimated to be used by nearly 5400 vehicles each day, pre-Covid-19.
A new $1 million project started on Tuesday to remove a massive section of rock from the bluff known as the Yates Feature (named after abseiler Ben Yates, a key member of the team mapping the unstable features on the Nevis Bluff after the 2000 rockfall).
It sits about 150m above the road at the Queenstown end of the bluff and is about 30m high, 20m wide, and weighs more than 4000 tonnes.
Waka Kotahi Central Otago senior network manager Robert Choveaux said movement and fresh cracking had been observed at the site since late last year and the team now wanted to stabilise the rock.
The schist was susceptible to freeze/thaw conditions in winter, rain, and dry, hot and windy conditions.
The goal now was to prevent an uncontrolled collapse.
The team would insert 100 rock bolts into the rock mass to stabilise it, rather than using explosives, which would be significantly disruptive to road users, Choveaux said.
“The majority of the work can be completed with the road remaining open to two lanes with minimal disruption to road users, but there will need to be closures as abseilers and drilling gear is set up and moved around the rock face.”
The work is expected to take 16 weeks to complete, subject to rock and weather conditions.
Kirkland, who has since retired and is now living in Wānaka, said he and his motorbike friends called the road past the Nevis Bluff the “Rock Slide Rumble.”
“Every time I go through, and I’ve been through quite a lot, I think about it.
“It really was life or death,” he said.
Poll: Is it okay to grocery shop in your PJs?
I'm sure you've seen it while doing your weekly shop... In fact, it may have even been you.
What do you think about people heading to the supermarket in their pyjamas?
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14.3% It's fine!
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75.1% It's questionable
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10.6% Other - I'll share below
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Dunedin - State of Emergency
A state of emergency was declared for Dunedin just before midnight Thursday.
Here's what you need to know:
- A MetService red heavy rain warning is in place for north Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha through to 9pm Friday.
- On Friday morning, residents of parts of South Dunedin were still being encouraged to evacuate from their homes if they notice rising waters, or feel unsafe.
- A welfare centre had been set up at Forsyth Barr Stadium for those who have nowhere else to go.
- If residents were worried and needed help getting to the stadium they should phone the DCC Call Centre on 03 477 4000.and ask for assistance.
- There was significant surface flooding across the city, including Peninsula Rd and around the Hoopers and Papanui Inlets, and in Green Island, Caversham, and Musselburgh suburbs. There are also reports of flooding in Kaikorai Valley.
- There was some rockfall on Stone St.
- All households along Dunedin’s Peninsula are told to conserve water due to a broken water supply pipe caused by a landslide.
- Residents can still collect sandbags from South Dunedin (Ice Stadium), Mosgiel (Memorial Park/Gym carpark) and Middlemarch (Showgrounds) throughout the day.
- These sections of the highways are closed:
SH87 Kyeburn to Hyde - Flooding
SH88 Forsyth Barr Stadium to Port Chalmers - Slip
SH90 Waikoikoi to Tapanui - Flooding
- These streets are closed:
About 7am Friday, Dunedin City Council was listing 22 roads as closed:
Kaikorai Valley Road - Kaikorai Valley Road closed between Barr Street and Morton Street - North bound lane off motorway off ramp open - Blocked at Burnside underpass. Closed due to flooding.
Portobello Road - No Detour. Closed due to blockages making the road impassable.
Highcliff Road - No detour in place. Closed due to blockages making the road impassable.
Marlow St - Full length. Closed due to flooding.
Ravelston St - Between Rona St and Cavell St. Closed due to flooding.
Cranley St - Between Cavell St and Marlow St. Closed due to flooding.
Bay View Road - Between Forbury Rd and Prince Albert Rd. Closed due to flooding.
Elwyn Cres -Closed due to flooding.
Dovecote Ave -Closed due to flooding.
Nelson Street -Closed due to flooding.
Loyalty Street -Closed due to flooding.
Tanner St - Inter Rock Side Rd - Closed due to blockages making the road impassable.
Hargest Cerscent - Richardson to Corunna St - Closed due to flooding.
Flagstaff/Whare Flat Road - From Three Mile Hill to Silverstream Valley Road -Closed due to flooding.
Hatchery Road - Closed due to blockages making the road impassable.
Josephine St - Closed due to flooding.
Southdale Road - Closed due to flooding.
Edwin St between Alfred St & Hillside Rd - Closed due to flooding.
Surrey St Closed between Ruskin Tce & Hillside Rd - Closed due to flooding.
Gladstone Road South - Closed between Riverside Road and Gladfield Road due to flooding - Closed due to flooding.
Old Brighton Road - closed between 100 Old Brighton Road and Jeffcoates Road - Closed due to flooding.
Nisbet Street - Closed due to blockages making the road impassable.
Learn more on Stuff or on the DCC website and DCC social media channels.
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