More than 140 residents in Otago are still unable to return to their homes following the weekend's flooding.
With the clean-up underway across the South Island, one of Dunedin's popular tourist attractions, the Taieri Gorge Railway, is facing an expensive repair bill.
Floodwaters are slowly sinking on the Taieri Plains, meaning the township of Henley remains cut off on all sides, with evacuated residents seeking refuge with family and friends.
"People want to get back to their homes, they want to get back to their businesses, and they want a return to normal," said Simon Pickford, Dunedin City Council recovery manager.
"But I think we just need to acknowledge that that might take some time. It might be days, it may even be weeks."
Muddy slips have also forced the scenic Taieri Gorge Railway to close for a month with large areas of the southern track impassable.
"It's not looking too good at all at the moment," Dunedin railways operations manager Grant Craig told Newshub.
"From the Dunedin end we've only been able to get as far as Parera. [There are] bad washouts, slips, water on the tracks."
While the floods are easing by the day, the clean-up will continue for weeks to come.
Parts of the track are still surrounded by floodwater and the cost of repairs is set to top $100,000.
Newshub
