While the majority of the country is open and welcoming visitors, The New Zealand government expects Cyclone Gabrielle to come with a bill of more than AU$9.1 billion, rivalling the costs of the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes.
A week after Cyclone Gabrielle first brought gale-force winds to New Zealand, authorities are still coming to grips with the magnitude of its destruction.
Parts of New Zealand’s North Island including Northland, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, Coromandel and Hawkes Bay have suffered disruption to communications, flights, roads and businesses.
Tragically, the death toll stands at 11 but authorities expect it to grow with many locals still unaccounted for.
“It’s going to be the biggest weather-related event this century and it will have a multi-billion dollar price tag,” said New Zealand Foreign Minister Grant Robertson, speaking to TVNZ this morning.
“(The) Canterbury (2011 earthquakes) was up in that sort of $13 billion (AU$12 billion) area.
“That’s around the ballpark that we’re looking at right now in terms of the costs, but each day we discover more. Each day we understand more,” said Mr Robertson.
One of New Zealand’s key wine regions, Hawke’s Bay has fared the worst, with whole valleys used for horticulture and vineyards now caked in silt, the remnants of overflowing rivers and floods.
Many parts of New Zealand are unaffected
Despite the devastation in some areas of the North Island, many parts of New Zealand are unaffected, including the South Island as detailed on the Tourism New Zealand website.
Commenting on the situation, a Tourism New Zealand spokesperson said, “Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent extreme weather events in Aotearoa New Zealand, we are working with agencies to support recovery.
“The majority of New Zealand is open and welcoming visitors, but we encourage those planning a holiday to check with their travel providers to ensure there is no impact on their plans.”
Below are some handy links for the latest travel updates.
- Air New Zealand is keeping its travel alerts pages updated with information
- Inter-island ferries are also providing travel alerts on their Interislander and Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries
- If you are already in New Zealand and travelling in throughout the North Island, please stay safe by checking with Waka Kōtahi Transport Agency about any impacts on roads
- If you have a rental car or a rental campervan, please connect directly to the company if you are having trouble returning your vehicle as planned
- Please also check the Department of Conservation’s alert page for information about any affected walking trails, beaches, parks and recreation areas
Air New Zealand extends discount fares for Gisborne and Napier flights
Air New Zealand has cut fares for flights to and from Gisborne and Napier until February 28 to help communities hit hardest by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Temporary prices on all domestic flights into or out of Gisborne and Napier are currently NZ$55 one way or NZ$105 if the journey requires two connecting domestic flights, for a ‘seat only’ ticket.
Introduced on Saturday, February 18, Air New Zealand said the new fares would “make it even easier for those communities to stay connected with the rest of New Zealand,” according to chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty.
“As the extent of the damage to the Tairawhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions becomes clearer, and we see the damage to roads connecting those areas, we know air travel will be more important than ever,” she added.
The fares will be available on Air New Zealand’s nine daily flights to Gisborne and up to 18 daily services to Napier, with 14 on Sunday, bookable until midnight Tuesday, February 28.
Visit the airline’s Travel Alerts page for the most current information on flights.
Wanting to help?
Head to The New Zealand Red Cross or The National Emergency Management Agency which has a list of mayoral relief funds across New Zealand.
All monies collected will be used for clean-up and recovery efforts and support in the hardest-hit communities.
Travel agents should also reach out to their New Zealand suppliers and partners for the latest updates and to see where they may be able to help. Every little helps.
Our thoughts at Karryon are with all our New Zealand travel industry Whānau.
Via AAP with additional reporting from Matt Leedham.
