Convoys keep cut-off South Wairarapa community supplied

South Wairarapa residents have banded together to support each other after a storm left some cut off.

The Tūranganui bridge was washed out by the weekend storm, leaving some 500 locals isolated from shops, friends and families.

The bridge is on the main thoroughfare, the only public access beyond Pirinoa to Lake Ferry.

The community organised supply drop-offs, coordinated among themselves, to get food and medicine across the river.

Pirinoa General Store owner David Pillar said he had been pulling supplies and orders together for the drop-off since the morning.

He said the community had rallied to help each other.

"Anyone who's got a four-wheel, a side-by-side, or a ute, they just turn up and take supplies, as much as they can."

But Pillar said this was a "band aid" on the problem: he said gravel needed to be dug out of the river to stop it flooding.

Wayne Cooper went out in a side by side to ferry supplies across farms to reach cut-off locals.

"It's a really good community. We look out for each other," he said.

He said people were better prepared this time around than in an earlier storm in February, when people were stranded without medicine.

Local farmer Ken Aburn said this storm had "heaps of rain" and surface flooding. He let people through his property to help get supplies to those in need.

He told RNZ "it would be good" if it was the last of the bad storms, but that it probably wouldn't be.

The convoy of trucks and side-by-sides forged across paddocks and gravel roads to meet cut-off residents.

Janie Malton picked up a bag filled with shopping she had requested. She said the supply drops had worked so well last time and were organised again by the same people.

She didn't like being cut off.

"You go a bit stir-crazy. We've done it before. This is round two."

She estimated there had been 180mm of rain over the weekend, causing slips and flooding on farms.