[AT] OT bad NZ weather

[H. L. Staples]

This is a copy of a note I received yesterday from Tom Martin--New Zeland 

Gidday H L
  Thanks for that.
  Weatherwise NZ has been knocked about in the last week.
  100 miles south of here they've had the worst flooding
  in New Zealand in a 100 years. Top of the South Island
  has been hit too. More rain forecast with 100 mph winds.
  I've been down there helping out with some machinery as
  the natural pipeline to our province got cut when a bridge
  was washed away, Off down there shortly with a 8 x 8 truck with a hiab
crane
to help with picking up the dead stock.
  Some farmers have lost entire herds due to the speed of
  the flooding. It wasn't so apparent until the water started
  to recede. I just hope today is not just another repeat of
  the weather of last WE. Yesterday the capital, Wellington
  was completed cut off by either flooding or slips on roads.
  The main roads south of Hawke's Bay have been closed all
  week so to get to the flooded areas requires a large detour.
  Summer? Where's it gone?
 
  Sorry I never got back to on that freight thing but on having another
thought
on it and ringing another company
  delivery can be made to OKC for about US$525, I can't lay
  my hands on the figures at present but I'll be back...
  Maybe tomorrow
 ( the last paragraph is in reference to a small crawler tractor Tom has
been looking at for me amazing how cheap freight can be coming this way. H.
L. )

Cheers
Tom