Roadworks in progress.

AA ROADWATCH

Current Incidents: North Island
SH3 between Awakino and Piopio
Land Slip - Extreme care required

Another morning, another slip. Just a dark mass in the headlights where there should be road. When there is torrential rain you can be on them before you know it. An SUV driver before me found that out, and the local mechanic made a few bucks.

The first thing we try and do is give some warning.
We will either stay there and use our flashing yellow lights, or get some road cones and signs out.

We get a sign truck on site, and set up a full set of signs with speed restrictions.
At the depot the front end loader is loaded onto a transport trailer and towed out by a six wheel truck.

Soon we are back and forth, carting away from the loader to the nearest tipping site.
If it is a short cart we can really make inroads quickly.
If we have to go any distance it can be a long job.
Today we only had to go half a kilometre.
There may be gates to open and close.(stock in the paddock)
The other problem is soft ground at the tip site. Trucks chew up the ground quickly.
In no time you and the truck are covered in mud.
The truck tail gate can be swung to open like a door.
Slips are full of tree roots, trees & branches, and big rocks.
I usually swing the tail gate open and closed, it is better than having a huge muddy mass jammed up, if you open it normally, from inside the truck.
The down side is that you stop at the tip site;
Get out of the truck,open the paddock gate, drive in.
Get out of the truck. Swing the Tail Gate open.
Get back into the truck. Tip off the load.
Get out of the truck. Close the tail gate.
Get in the truck. Drive through the gate.
Get out of the truck, close the gate.
Drive to Site, Repeat, X times.
It is of course pissing down.

And Yet we get a buzz out of getting our road open.
It's our job.