It’s the end of an era for Paekākāriki Surf Club as their HQ is demolished, and they’re forced to move inland due to coastal erosion and potential future sea level change.
The building, located on Wellington’s Kapiti Coast, has been a central part of the community for around 60 years, and the clubbies are finding it hard to say goodbye.
“It’s a bit of a hub for the community, we do obviously run our patrols out of it, and we can make do with containers but not for the long term,” Paekākāriki Surf Club’s Karten Simpson-Warren said.
Paekākāriki Surf Club as an entity will still be around, just not in its original spot overlooking the beach.
The club will be moving back about 80 meters behind the sand dunes - it comes as storm surges and coastal erosion have forced their retreat.
“We’ve lost about 10 meters of the beach; we can’t rebuild on the site that we’re on now - we’re going to have to move back away from the ocean,” Matt Warren said.
Simpson-Warren also said that the buildings had a rough 60 years, suffering damage from earthquakes.
Warren said that while the relocated position will make surf lifesaving harder, they hope it will mean the surf club is accessible for future generations.
“It’s gonna be the best place to protect the building for the next 100 years,” he said.
He also highlighted that many other surf clubs, which are all pillars in their communities, are also being forced to move back.
Sunset Beach (Port Waikato) and Raglan surf clubs have had to relocate facilities due to erosion in recent years. Westshore in Napier may also have to move due to erosion, Surf Live Saving NZ said.
“As we go through the process, there’s gonna be a lot more that come as well that are having to relocate, so they have a better place for a long-term future.”
Warren hopes the community can remember all the positive memories and the countless lives saved through the club.
The new building is going to be expensive, around $4.5 million, and they have set up a Givealittle so people can contribute to the club's rebuild.
The club itself has been active since 1913 and is one of the oldest in the country.
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