Morning Report

The West Coast is in chaos after wild weather over the weekend caused flooding, cutting access to many roads.

As of Monday morning nearly 1000 tourists are trapped in Franz Josef.

Friday is the earliest many of them will be able to get out.

Westland District mayor Bruce Smith joins speaks to Kim Hill from Hokitika.

The earliest most of the 970 tourists trapped in Franz Josef are getting out is Friday. Slips and wash outs south and north of the tourist town mean the only way in or out is by helicopter.

Meanwhile 44 dairy farms just north of Franz Josef at Whataroa are also cut off and will start dumping milk today because no tankers have been able to get through since Friday.

Conan Young managed to fly in to Franz Josef to find out first hand how locals and tourists are coping with being cut off and isolated.

Both the New Zealand and Australian cricketers are playing down concerns about the state of the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch ahead of the Boxing Day Test.

Wild weather hammered the South Island and the bottom of the North Island over the weekend bringing flooding, slips and road closures.

The Timaru District remains in a state of emergency with road access north to Christchurch blocked by damage to two bridges crossing the Rangitata River.

Hundred of tourists were left scrambling to find accommodation in the region last night. In Wellington State Highway 58 over Haywards Hill remains closed after the region was hit by thunderstorms and heavy rain.

On the West Coast 970 people are stranded in Franz Josef after heavy rain cut access to the small town.

Heavy rain battered much of the West Coast since Friday, causing major road slips to a 350 kilometre stretch of State Highway 6 between Hokitika and Haast.

RNZ reporter Conan Young flew in to Franz Josef from Hokitika on Sunday.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

Wild weather has caused chaos across New Zealand, after heavy rain caused slips and washouts, cutting off some communities.

Kim Hill speaks to NIWA meteorologist Chris Brandolino.

Residents in the South Island are picking up the pieces after a wild weekend of weather. Heavy rain battered much of the West Coast since Friday, causing major slips on a 350 kilometre stretch of State Highway 6 between Hokitika and Haast.

Nearly 1000 people are stranded in Franz Josef after heavy rain cut access to the small town.

The worst of the damage is near Harihari and Whataroa, where Mount Hercules has come down in multiple slips.

The Timaru District remains in a state of emergency with road access north to Christchurch blocked by damage to the only two bridges crossing the Rangitata River.

Hundred of tourists were left scrambling to find accommodation in the region last night.

RNZ reporter Tess Brunton is at the Southern Trust Events Centre in Timaru where many people have been spending the night.

New Zealand cyclists have has ridden away with eight medals five of them gold at the track world cup meet in Cambridge.

A wild weekend of weather -Almost a thousand tourists are stranded in Franz Josef - The Timaru District remains in a state of emergency and roads north are cut by the flooded Rangitata River and many roads remain closed. And Many of Auckland's buses will be off the road this morning as an industrial dispute continues