Photos: NZTAThe opening of the West Coast's Haast highway this morning is being welcomed as an early Christmas present for the region. State Highway 6 between Harihari and Whataroa had been closed since 7 December, following landslips at Mount Hercules. Development West Coast tourism manager Jim Little said roading crews had done an amazing job to reopen the highway so quickly. He said tourism is the second highest earner for the region, and opening the highway is a boost for businesses. International tourists spend about $270 million on the West Coast each year, while domestic tourism contributes $231 million.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 20, 2019 00:56 UTC