[victoria]

The big storm caused an enormous slip just past our place cutting off access to nearly 40 properties at around 1130 am. From midday onwards we had a steady stream of callers with people wanting information,the loo or use of phone. Within a few hours of the slip being reported,all power out & no phone, the first emergency workers arrived to assess the situation.The slip was a huge tree root ball & boulders with a another load threatening to follow. Several teams followed to assist.An intrepid mother had made her way through this lot(somehow) carrying her 2yo.She asked us if we could take her to school in Waikanae to collect her boys as there was no way she to contact them.In the meantime,hubby & I had wheeled the mother of all BBQs into the garage to set up for hot drinks as by now several vehicles were parked along the road with people waiting.Bear in mind the extreme wind & horizontal rain were making their presence felt. So off to school to get the boys & we all came back to our place.Another friend turned up to join in the fun & wait it out. By 4pm a huge lorry arrived with digger & this amazing team created a safe access for everyone within the hour. My friend's husband had made his way through via a very dodgy route & came to us after to say they can get through to their homes now. Their place has lost an 8X12 outbuilding(I mean gone ..... disappeared) & I've yet to find out what else has happened to them. Other people dropped in to have a cuppa from our "soup kitchen" & catch up on events. The storm eased as we went into evening.Had a lovely candlelight supper via the BBQ. By 7pm 2 huge lorries with searchlights came slowly along our road & we watched them snake their way around the hills. Sometime later,& I can't say when (because we'd slumped into bed exhausted) but certainly before 10, the power was back on!
Now my main point to this very abridged version of todays events is that, within hours of reporting emergencies, the powers that be were on the case. I passed numerous emergency vehicles when going to school. We are a rural district yet the emergency cover was fantastic considering the many events happening along the way. For a lightly populated country the backup is IMHO second to none.WAY TO GO NEW ZEALAND!!!!:clap

[Caroline and Dave]

This is a great report and it is true that people over here seem more community spirited and pull together at a time of need. We have had people ringing from our neighbourhood to make sure we are all right which is something that never happened in the UK The emergency services etc have been working flat out clearing trees etc, getting the power back on. I remember just before we came over here in the UK there was a burst water main and our street was without water for 4 days and we were in a major street. Not one person contacted us to make sure we were ok.