Meanwhile in Alexandra the Manuherikia River is in flood with logs and debris being swept downstream.

What at first appeared to be a helicopter rescue of a kayaker turned out to be the Otago Regional Council measuring river flow through a process called heli-gauging.

Dropping a sealed, watertight kayak and measuring device into the river, a helicopter assisted the ORC with their measurements flow data while the river is in flood.

The high water carried large logs and other pieces of driftwood down the river, but that didn't deter jet boaters from making their way upstream through the flooded waters.

The ORC has issued a flood warning for several rivers around the region.

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