Rural communities woke up to an unexpected sight on Saturday Morning, with the heaviest 24 hour rainfall recorded in 50 years, causing extensive flooding  in low lying valley's. 

The Waiareka Valley, (pictured here) burst it's banks during the night,  damage was however limited mostly to fences with  minimal stock loss's despite the lack of warning about the deluge from the met service. 
The flood had receded by Sunday Midday, with Whitestone Roading crews were stretched to the limit repairing roads and restoring access to remote farms on the south side of the Valley.