By CLAIRE TREVETT
Niuaviu Tauevihi's first glimpse of the devastation Cyclone Heta had wrought on his house came as he watched television news from the comfort of his daughter's home in New Zealand.
There was nothing left but a concrete pad.
Mr Tauevihi, the father of Shortland Street actor Stephanie Tauevihi, saw the building that held his flat razed, its pieces flung across the island and into the ocean.
Stephanie Tauevihi is now using her high profile to persuade companies to donate goods for the tiny island nation. "I'm able to do this, pretty much use my profile to talk to these companies and make sure that happens," she said.
Her father's house was just across the road from where the cyclone's only fatality, Catherine Alec, died.
"She was my neighbour," Mr Tauevihi said. "The waves apparently came and picked up my house and it landed across the road on their house.
"I hear bits and pieces of news from people saying, 'Tell Niu he has no house to come back to'. If I had been there I would have refused to leave the house.
"I've been through the big hurricanes of 1959 and 1960 and it was pretty frightening, but buildings then weren't built to hurricane standard.
"The one I was in this time was reinforced concrete. I would have just sat there thinking, 'It's a solid building'.
"But just to see nothing left but the floor afterwards makes you realise how scary it would have been."
Mr Tauevihi returned to live in Niue after his wife's death.
"I felt so great to be back in Niue. I did not want to come back to New Zealand. I still feel like that. I'll never leave Niue, not even now. I'll go back and rebuild my life."
His computer, which contained a book he had been working on for three years, and his library were the greatest material losses. He also lost all the work he had done to organise the Pacific Islands Forum, due to be held in Niue in August. "I don't think it is going to be held in Niue now."
Stephanie Tauevihi last visited Niue four years ago, when she was "embarrassingly" feted as a superstar because of her role as Donna Heka in the New Zealand soap, a staple on Niuean television.
By the time she returned to the Shortland Street set for the first day of filming she had persuaded The Warehouse and Countdown to donate products to send to the island. Carter Holt Harvey was providing building supplies and Plastic Box was interested in helping.
She got a donation of bottles of Pump water and started talking to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out how to get the items to Niue.
Tauevihi is also putting her musical talents to use, joining Niu FM to arrange fundraising and talk about charity concerts.
"When Dad's house went into the ocean, all Mum's pictures, all the family furniture, the whole thing went. It's kind of weird and if I can do something I will."
Other high-profile Niueans in New Zealand are also trying to help.
TV presenter and Naked Samoans actor Shimpal Lelisi was hoping to get on a flight to his birthplace.
The presenter on TV One's Tagata Pasifika news magazine show plans to go over for work and to check on his aunts and uncles.
Niuean rugby captain and Wellington Senior B player Chris Motu is helping by answering telephones at the Niuean High Commission in Wellington.
HOW TO HELP
Donations can be made:
* at any Westpac Bank.
* by calling Niueans Faama Viliamu or Ettie Mizziebo on (09) 274-8912 or (09) 267-4269.
Telecom has set up a line for inquiries on 0800 00 NIUE (0800 006-483).
'I'll never leave Niue, not even now. I'll go back and rebuild my life.'
Actor goes in to bat for Niue
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.