Temporary cabins arrive in cyclone-stricken Wairoa - but not enough

Wairoa families finally received some welcome news this week as 12 temporary cabins were delivered to the flood-stricken region.

While it's a move welcomed with open arms, many others remain without a place to call home — even if temporary.

Though an imperfect solution, Wairoa residents are grateful to have the basics back, including Cindy Lewis who lives among three other generations of her family.

She celebrated the move-in with a classic boil up, a meal she called "the best feed ever" after her whānau lost their home to Cyclone Gabrielle.

"We don't care that we have to walk through mud and water, we are home so we can start trying to get our life back on an even keel and to bring mum home," she told 1News with tears in her eyes. "She's 85 years old and not well, but she needs to be here."

Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust has been providing temporary cabins and said that more than 300 homes are affected.

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