From various sources, here are two sets of photos — 65 in all — that provide a comprehensive look at the awesome damage caused by the slips and flooding in Waimarama. The photos were taken between Tuesday and Friday, last week.

The photos are stored on Flickr, and the links will take you to slideshow presentations. Run your cursor over the screen to see menu bar allowing you to control the presentation to suit (speed, pause, etc).

The first set of 22 photos is labeled (click “Show Info” on Flickr to see descriptions). There are some aerial photos, including shots of Ocean Beach Road.

The second set of 43 photos is unlabeled. What most viewers will recognize is the road starting into Waimarama itself, with property damage in the areas of Waitangi Road, the marae, and Tiakitai Road; the major slip off the ridge above Peach Gully; and the environs of the swollen Puhokio Stream as it passes through the reserve area into the sea.

Even these photos don’t reveal the full extent of the damage — lost livestock, swept-away fencing, damaged water lines, sewage overflow onto properties and into waterways.

Huge clean-up ahead for the Waimarama community, and devastating economic losses for some.

Awful.

You can help with Waimarama clean-up on weekend of May 7-8 … sign-up info here.

Tom Belford

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2 Comments

  1. Tragic. Have just visited the wonderful Hakikino with HBRC and also was at the marae for Anzac day. Is there anything we can do, Tom?

  2. My sympathy goes to all who suffered in tis tragic event.

    However, this is nothing new and has happened before.

    To the day in April 1938, my father could not get out of Waimarama to get to his own wedding for 2 days due to the flood.

    With 110 years of monthly total rainfall records, a collection of photographs and 40 odd years of farming hill country at Waimarama,I well recall identical events which happened in Oct 1959, June 1974 and July 1976. Many disagreed with my father when he stated he could farm for a drought but NOT a flood !!!

    More comment later, if required.

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