Tourists stranded as cyclone's tail hits New Zealand

Up to 1,000 tourists were stranded in New Zealand's Golden Bay Wednesday after the remnants of Cyclone Gita buffeted the South Pacific nation, officials said. Authorities said they were considering sending ferries to ship the holiday-makers out of the remote South Island region after huge landslips closed the main highway.
Elsewhere, the storm cut power to tens of thousands of homes, felled trees and washed away roads. Cyclone Gita caused extensive damage as it tore through Tonga and Samoa last week, peaking as a top-of-the-scale Category Five super-storm.
It has since been downgraded but still carried a sting in the tail when it reached New Zealand overnight, bringing 140 kmh (90 mph) winds and around 200 mm (7.8 inches) of rainfall. Seven local council areas, including the South Island's main city of Christchurch, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as officials anticipated the worst.