Wānaka mudslide leaves Australian tourists facing NZ$7,500 campervan bill

An Australian couple say they are stranded near Wānaka and facing a NZ$7,500 charge after their rental motorhome became stuck in a mudslide.

The couple believed they had taken out the rental company’s most comprehensive zero-excess cover. They say the policy has not protected them from the bill after the vehicle became trapped.

A major winter storm battered the area, causing widespread flooding, slips and road closures. The mudslide left the tourists unable to continue their journey in the motorhome.