Residents could be seen kayaking through the flooded streets of Wanaka today, after heavy rain inundated the region.
Sandbags and road cones could be seen lining the roads and storefronts as people kayaked along Dungarvon Street.
One boy described the flood as "pretty cool", adding, "I've always wanted to see a flood - just a little one, not a huge one."
Lake levels are rising faster than predicted, as heavy rain in the region shows no sign of letting up.
"Just hoping it doesn't get into the shops," another boy added.
Roads were empty following yesterday’s heavy rain.
One man called the flood "incredible".
"I heard about the 1999 one, but I couldn't have imagined what it was like," he said. "This is quite phenomenal.
"When it first happened, we thought, ‘it’s an overreaction’, but when you see what’s happening even up the street here now, it’s the real thing."
The Clyde Dam is spilling twice as much water as usual in an effort to ease pressure on upstream waterways in Central otago.
It comes after the rainfall saw Lake Wanaka rise nine centimetres yesterday morning.
The regional council has warned that it could be the worst flood since 1999, when 200 millimetres of rain fell in just two days.
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