The Flooding in September 2015

Another lot of heavy rain saw some flooding in the Manawatu River, again.  This time it was only the river and flood plains affected, as the rain fell in the Ruahine Ranges, north of where we are.  The farm land around where we live was not affected at all.  

A sense of adventure stirred within me.  I drove to the road block at Opiki School...and drove through.  {don't worry, people live past the road block}  Just before the Opiki Bridge there is another road block which is where I stopped and parked the car.  We did see some people drive over the bridge to the water on the other side - I can't imagine why, but they did.

When we got out of the car we couldn't see any water as we were on the other side of the stop bank, but we could certainly hear the water.

We walked up the rise and onto the bridge

All the water to the left of the tips of the green trees is flood.  The river is to the right...somewhere under there!

Water for miles!

A view over the other side of the bridge

 After having a look from the edge of the bridge we went home for dinner.  

Because J951 was at home when we went to the river, and I knew he would LOVE to see it too, I went back with him, and Butterfly came with us.  It was just before sunset and the lighting was really nice for photos; J951 enjoys photography.

A rainbow reflecting in the flood waters.

The Opiki Swing Bridge.  Usually the ends are high above the river level.

Close up of the swing bridge

My sunset picture

Butterfly took this of me gazing at the sunset. I am standing in the middle of the road at the north end of the Opiki SH56 Bridge.

The following are J951's photos...

Stop bank in the foreground with the flood waters behind

This is where the sound of the water was coming from, as the river spilled over its banks into the channel between the river and the stop bank

Sunset

Sunset

The waters edge on SH56

The road descending into floodwaters 

Under the bridge

Sunset

~Lorna