Haumoana couple start clean-up but say they're 'luckier' than others

Haumoana residents Kimberley Robertson and Dave Frechtling have begun their clean-up after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the Hawke's Bay region.

Speaking to Breakfast this morning, the pair said they had to use a dinghy to move around their property because it was so flooded.

Frechtling said they have no power, so are borrowing a generator from a friend.

Robertson said they both wish they could have seen more photos of the damage from around the region earlier because they didn't realise how bad it was.

"We managed to get a little bit of Wi-Fi last night and look at some photos of other places and you know it's a mess here but we're so much luckier than other people.

"I suppose we were all fairly jovial because we were enjoying each others company but we just didn't expect the water to get so high so quickly."

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She said it's now "boots on and brooms out" as they work to restore their property.

Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said yesterday around 9000 Hawke's Bay residents have been forced from their homes.