In the Waipatu Marae where families have lived in close quarters for almost 12 months, packing boxes into cars symbolises a long-awaited return to familiar surroundings.
Hīria Tumoana, a Waiohiki resident, expressed gratitude for the hospitality they received during their displacement and shared their eagerness to move back home and resume their regular lives.
Another Waiohiki resident, Kiriana Laison captured the emotional essence of the moment, saying "it's a bit real now, seeing next to nothing in the club rooms".
The return home is a bittersweet moment for these families, marking the end of a challenging chapter.
Reflecting on the past six months, Laison highlighted a silver lining from experiencing the cyclone.
"I've gained so many more friends, family, loved ones. I don't think I could've survived, my mental health could've survived if I didn't have those ones come visit me," she said.
As the rain fell during Cyclone Gabrielle, hillsides in the region began to collapse, and out of the pine forests came forestry’s debris, damning rivers, smashing bridges and crushing crops. (Source: 1News)
"It's a bitter-sweet moment, but we are here, we are home, it's where we wanted to be in the first place".
Now, she is moving into a converted sleep-out beside her family home, while her parents and children reside in temporary accommodation pods.
Other residents in the Tangoio Valley region face ongoing struggles, including resident Toro Waaka who told 1News he is contemplating a class action in order to "defend my rights to live on my land".
As Simon Mercep reports, there’s still plenty of work to be done to get families, businesses and infrastructure back on its feet. (Source: 1News)
His property has been classed within category three — meaning there is an intolerable risk to life — despite no water entering in his home.
"It's getting so frustrating with the lack of communication, the lack of engagement, the lack of requirements in terms what you need to do for mitigation, the lack of support, I'm like a number of people — I have to consider class action to be able to defend myself," Waaka said.
Asset Management Group Manager at Hawke's Bay regional council Chris Dolley defends its land category decision, citing the decisions were made on expert advice.
"With some of the warning systems, some of our valleys are very flashy in the way that they flood, and so our view on those locations is that with time we're warning people that the flood would already be occurring," Dolley said.
As Hawke's Bay families navigate the complexities of the land category system, the resilience and determination to rebuild their lives remain at the forefront.
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