Fifty Auckland sea-front households at risk of being flooded by the storm surge from the tail of tropical Cyclone Lusi remained defiant on Saturday night, as residents spurned offers of evacuation.
Police door-knocked 50 homes in Milford, Cheltenham, Orewa, Whangateau, and Wairewa letting residents know about the risk and offering assistance if needed.
Auckland Council's civil defence controller Clive Manley says none of the residents took up the offer and all opted to stay as the 8pm high tide pushed the ocean swells another 10 centimetres higher.
Earlier in the day, dangerous sea conditions hit Auckland's north eastern beaches as the tide rose and winds picked up. Police say that a boy swept from near a boat ramp at Takapuna Beach at 2pm on Saturday later returned to the beach safely.
Cyclone Lusi made a deadly sweep through Vanuatu this week and the tail end of it hit Northland on Friday night and then swept south.
Strong wind in Whangarei and other parts of Northland caused power cuts and damage. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
Mr Manley says that seven metre swells in some areas are expected to also cause problems such as beach erosion.
At least three boats in Auckland Harbour broke their moorings and a ship that was due to enter the harbour instead sheltered off the Coromandel Peninsula.
A rockfall blocked the Hibiscus Coast Highway at Waiwera.
The lines company Vector said on Saturday evening crews will work throughout the night to restore power to as many customers as possible in the Auckland region.
The power is back on in Wellsford, but late in the day more than 2000 were still without power in Waimauku, Port Albert, South Head, Whiftord and Brighams Creek.
Northpower lines crews in action at Puhipuhi. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
In Northland, wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres an hour sent trees and even a shed flying into power lines on Saturday morning, and line crews worked from first light to restore power lines brought down by falling trees.
Violent wind gusts in the Bay of Islands town of Paihia wrenched two boats from their moorings and scattered tree branches over roads.
Paihia's waterfront road was closed when storm surges swept across it at high tide.
In a service building next to an hotel, basement flooding caused an explosion. Northland Fire Chief Alan Kerrisk says no-one was hurt, but the big bang did some damage.
Mr Kerrisk says Bay of Islands firefighters were busy all day, securing boats, and roofs as they lifted in galeforce winds, as well as pumping out basements, and unblocking drains.
Heavy swells washed up over Marsden Road, and resident Chester Rendall says swells also sliced off a large chunk of the embankment along the Paihia waterfront. Firefighters had to pump water from the basements of the Kingsgate Hotel and an apartment building.
The ferocious surf pounding the east coast of Northland devoured about three metres of the beachfront in Taipa at Doubtless Bay.
The manager of the Taipa Resort Hotel, Russell Masters, says the high tide on Saturday morning has badly damaged the dune area in front of the hotel.
But the Far North mayor John Carter says that despite the downed trees and power lines in east coast communities, the damage in the region was about par for a big easterly blow, and Northland's been lucky.
On Saturday night Northpower said it expects only 100 customers around Whangarei would be without power overnight.
It was sending crews to repair a fault south of Ruakaka where 672 customers were without power after a large tree felled power lines, and it expecte electricity switched back on for those homes later in the night.
Earlier, power was out to about 1000 homes from Hukerenui to Kaiwaka in the Whangarei district, while 2000 other properties in the Far North which were cut off early on Saturday had supplies restored.
Branches were brought down on roads and power lines. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
Several trees fell across State Highway 14 between Whangarei and Dargaville and debris was scattered on many other roads.
Crews cleared powerlines that came down across a road in Horeke. At Kaeo, lines fell across a road into a paddock, the Fire Service said. Police advised people who had to travel to drive carefully.
Heavy rain was recorded at Cape Reinga on Friday night and at Kerikeri where wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres an hour were recorded.
The Fire Service moved equipment and staff into Northland on Friday to ensure there are enough resources during the severe weather. Five engines and 26 firefighters travelled from Takapuna Fire Station in Auckland to Kerikeri.
The MetService predicted the storm would reach the middle of the country by Saturday night and Canterbury on Sunday morning.
Wild surf at Whangarei Heads on Saturday. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams