After nearly six months, there is still no answer to what caused a massive rockslide in the Mangorewa Gorge on State Highway 36 between Tauranga and Rotorua.
The rockslide, which buried one car and its occupants and forced another vehicle to plunge down a 10 metre bank, occurred on August 6, 2009.

The scene in the Mangorewa Gorge on the day of the massive rockslide on August 6, 2009.

Rock blasting was being carried out in the gorge in the weeks before the rockslide and the New Zealand Transport Agency launched an immediate investigation.
But NZTA state highway manager Rod James says the results of the investigation are not yet complete and he is unsure when it will be available.
'The Department of Labour is carrying out its own investigation in parallel to the investigation that NZTA has undertaken in conjunction with the Rotorua District Council.”
He says that while the NZTA and Rotorua District Council report is largely complete, the Department of Labour investigation needs to be completed before the report can be finalised.
'While we understand that there is a high level of interest in this matter, it's not appropriate for us to make any further comment until all aspects of the investigation are complete.”