School camp to ride out former cyclone Gita as heavy rain lashes the Marlborough Sounds
Tuesday, 20 February 2018
A group of students riding out former cyclone Gita in the Marlborough Sounds will only leave on Wednesday morning if it is safe.
The Marlborough Boys' College year 9 students were scheduled to leave on Wednesday, but heavy rain and severe gales mean they might stay longer.
The 21 boys are staying in Department of Conservation cabins at Nydia Bay, in the Pelorus Sound.
Outdoor education teacher Maara Ave, who was with the boys, said they were in 'good spirits' despite the wet weather.
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* Cyclone Gita: What you need to know
* Get out of the Sounds: Evacuation warning**
'They have been inside all day, doing all sorts of indoor activities, one of them being practising the haka.
'There isn't much wind, it's just been raining all day,' Ave said on Tuesday afternoon.
The cabins had their own power generator and the boys would remain indoors all day, he said.
Severe gales were expected to hit the top of the south on Tuesday evening, with 'damaging' gusts of 130kmh in exposed places.
College principal Wayne Hegarty said he had not spoken to the group on Tuesday afternoon. 'We'll just have to wait and see.'
On Monday, campers, trampers and boaties were told to leave the Marlborough Sounds before Gita hit.
Marlborough Sounds marinas Havelock operations manager Steve McKeown said his biggest concern with the storm was the high winds, expected later on Tuesday, rather than the rain.
'The wind is the thing we are pretty worried about, he said.
The winds could create some issues for sail boats in the marina, but he had checked boat sails were on tightly.
McKeown said there were a couple of people in the marina who lived on their boats.
Families of the boys on the school trip were updated by email on Monday night, Hegarty said. For now the group was staying put as it was considered the safest option, he said on Tuesday.
'A decision on groups walking in and out tomorrow will be made [on Tuesday night].'
The boats would only be used when the storm passed, Hegarty said, as civil defence had warned against taking boats out into the Sounds.
The group had been in contact with DOC, who wanted to know their plans.
Destination Marlborough general manager Jacqui Lloyd said tourism operators were working to inform visitors of the former cyclone.
Lloyd said those running camping grounds were working to get visitors in tents to safer spots.
'A lot of the holiday parks in the area are moving their tenters up from the lower ground into higher ground areas … They are also putting them into areas that are protected by trees or other buildings,' she said.
There could be anywhere from 3000 to 4000 visitors in Marlborough at the moment, she said.
SCHOOLS
Marlborough students who travelled to school by bus were sent home early as ex-Cyclone Gita threatened to flood roads about 1pm on Tuesday.
Staff at Marlborough Boys' College, Marlborough Girls' College and Queen Charlotte College, in Picton, said they took the measure to ensure students got home safely.
They announced on Tuesday afternoon they planned to be open on Wednesday, unless Civil Defence recommended otherwise.
Hegarty said parents could check their emails, news media, the school Facebook page or the school website in the morning for any updates.
'The presumption is that we will be open. As the weather follows its cycle, the forecast is not disastrous, in fact it should be better than [Tuesday],' Hegarty said.
'The only issue might be that some students can't get in because of flooding.'
Marlborough Girls' College principal Mary-Jeanne Lynch said if the school did close, parents would be notified through the school app, the school Facebook page and local news media by 7.30am.
'We will be keeping an eye on the weather, the Ministry of Education, and Civil Defence,' Lynch said.
Rai Valley Area School principal Angela Sloane said she was unsure if the school would open on Wednesday, but parents could check the school Facebook page, the school app and the website.
Civil Defence said public messages would be shared on Brian FM and through Marlborough District Council communication channels.