Regarding the recent flooding in the South Island, tourists with travel plans in the near future do not need to panic. The latest information we have is as follows: 1. The water levels in the high-water areas of Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wanaka in Queenstown have reached their peak, and the weather has cleared up. This week is expected to be mostly sunny, with no more rain predicted, so the flood risk has been alleviated. Businesses along the shores of Lake Wanaka have resumed operations. The famous Wanaka Tree will remain partially submerged for a while longer due to the still-high water levels. Queenstown is experiencing clear weather, and recent photos show that while the water levels are high, the risk of flooding has diminished. 2. The South Island highways, which were previously closed, have started to reopen. State Highway 72 has resumed traffic, although there is heavy congestion, so travelers should allow extra time if using this route. 3. There is still flooding at the Rangitata Bridge section of State Highway 1, but once the water recedes, traffic will be able to resume. There is also flooding at the intersection of State Highway 1 and State Highway 79. The Timaru District Council has stated on social media that there is no risk of the recently reopened bridges on State Highway 72 being closed again. 4. The goal is to reopen State Highway 6 on the West Coast before Christmas, but this is entirely dependent on the weather conditions. If the weather remains favorable, the road repair progress will be normal, but if there is another heavy rain, it will affect the repair schedule. Therefore, travelers planning to visit the West Coast of the South Island around Christmas and New Year's need to closely monitor the road repair progress. The New Zealand Transport Agency's update on December 10th at 4pm: SH6 - The past two days have been sunny, and road repair progress has been smooth. The agency has been working to clear the landslide section between Fox and Franz Josef towns, aiming to reopen the Hokitika - Makarora section before Christmas. The Whataroa - Harihari section, which has suffered the most damage, is still closed due to multiple landslides, and the agency is striving to reopen it before Christmas ?
New Zealand Q&A
Hello everyone! I just visited Cinque Terre on July 29th. It was very difficult to find a parking space (I don't know if it's because it's the weekend). I suggest it's more convenient to take a train from La Spezia to visit Cinque Terre. Trains from La Spezia to Levanto run every half an hour and stop at all five villages. We drove to Riomaggiore first and bought tickets there for 16 euros per person, which allowed unlimited rides all day, including buses and restroom fees. Among the five villages, Manarola has the best scenery. It is said that the night view is also special, but we didn't plan our time well and left Cinque Terre before it got dark. We arrived around 10 am and left around 8 pm, spending about ten hours. We visited all five villages, and the scenery was quite similar. Monterosso, the northernmost village, is mainly a beach resort. Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are similar, while Corniglia, after getting off the train, requires a bus ride to reach the top of the town. After 8 pm, the train back to La Spezia runs every hour. I hope my experience can be helpful to friends who are planning to visit Cinque Terre. ?
Italy Q&A
I'm still working hard to get back the cost of a tank of gas. On the way back from the South Island to Auckland, I took half a day to go to Muriwai Beach and spent half a day looking for a rental car company near the airport. I found a Corolla for 480 yuan with full insurance. When I picked up the car, the salesperson tried to sell me an additional 27 New Zealand dollars of insurance, but I ignored her. When I looked inside the car, the fuel tank only had enough fuel to run 121 kilometers. I told her about it, and she said it was no problem as long as I returned the car with an empty fuel tank. Since the pickup and return process had gone smoothly before, I didn't think much of it. When I returned the car the next morning, there was still enough fuel in the tank to run for more than 130 kilometers. But as soon as I arrived at the airport, I received information that I had been charged 134.11 New Zealand dollars, and when I asked, it turned out to be for fuel. Can you imagine where the credibility comes from ?
New Zealand Q&A