Waikaia Bush Rd runs across the Old Man Range from near Shingle Creek in Central Otago to Piano Flat near Waikaia. A search and rescue operation was being planned late tonight to help 34 people trapped by harsh weather in their vehicles in northern Southland. Police said the welfare of several young children with the group on the Waikaia Bush Rd, near Piano Flat, had "raised concerns". At the Piano Flat end, the road is deeply rutted and traverses swamps. And about 120km to the northwest, about a dozen vehicles carrying about 20 people were abandoned after they became stuck in snow on the Crown Range Road.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 22, 2016 02:12 UTC