Hayley-Grace Davis with the horse float partially loaded in preparation for her drive to Te Karaka on Monday. Photo / Stuart Whitaker
On Monday Te Puke’s Hayley-Grace Davis set off for Gisborne with a horse float and four-wheel-drive ute stacked with supplies.
While she wasn’t sure exactly what she would find when she got there, she says, not going or doing nothing weren’t options.
Hayley-Grace put out the call for donations last week - with many coming to the party, among them Pāpāmoa Warehouse which donated $3000 worth of goods including pallets of water and toilet rolls.
Hayley-Grace runs Wake Field Equestrian Centre and is also a former outdoor instructor who has been involved in mountain, cave and bush rescues.
Her reason for undertaking her mission was simple: because she can.
“I don’t have kids, I don’t have a Monday to Friday job, I’ve got the vehicles, I’ve got the storage - I can’t sit around and do nothing. It’s three hours away, it’s not overseas somewhere.”
She says she has been heartbroken at some of the stories of those in the equestrian community who have lost animals, with more stories being shared as internet access is restored.
Her plan when she drove away from Te Puke was to use the trip as a reconnaissance mission in preparation for another trip.
But after what she was told, the timing of her next visit has changed. She still intends to go again, and take more supplies next time in her large horse truck, but not straight away.
In a Facebook post on Monday evening she said it was a very long day and she had been in contact with the civil defence logistics manager in Te Karaka.
“Our supplys (sic) were very gratefully received, got tears of joy which was heart warming ... but a lot of people are bringing supplies down which they do not need YET.”
Hayley has decided to continue to collect, but store supplies - for humans and animals - until they are needed.
“They have around two weeks’ worth of supplies/food etc atm, and will contact me directly with what they need ‚” she posted.
She is also looking ahead to winter when feed hay and crops are gone.
“I’d like to plan in advance while hay prices are lower and store it for them,” she says.
Anyone who wants to donate or help can contact Hayley-Grace on 021 1919 444 or via Facebook messenger, or keep an eye out for her posts on the Te Puke Community Facebook page.
“We are going to need help packing the truck, and on longer trips, we are going to be away two or three days so we might need help here [at the equestrian centre] so I can get there.”
Te Puke’s Poutiri Wellness Centre has also sent supplies as well as people to help out after hearing about the extent of the cyclone’s impact.
“We have two staff that actually commute from Hawke’s Bay so had really quick intel about how bad it was down there and we also have strong relationships with providers in Hawke’s Bay because a number of us have worked with them in the past,” says CEO Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford.
“Last Thursday we received a call to say they really need mobile nursing support. There is no mobile service and they’re swamped, so we thought we have got to get ourselves organised and get down there.”
Local mobile support is being maintained, but staff travelled to Hawke’s Bay on Monday, as did a truckload of donated goods.
“We opened the doors from Thursday afternoon for any donations because we knew that the community was wanting to do something.
“To transport it to Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay is challenging so we reached out to James Trevelyan and asked if he could help us on the transport side ... and he linked us up with Brett and Diana [Hutchings from H2 Orchard Contracting] which is amazing.”
“We filled a whole truck, packed that truck on Sunday and he left early Monday morning. Our team stayed back to wait for extra clinical hospital supplies. They got there about 7 o’clock [Monday] night.”
Supplies included food and water, clothes, baby cots, car seats, nappies, generators, gas bottles and canisters. The Hub provided linen.
She says the team providing the mobile nursing service is expected to be there at least until tomorrow, but may stay or return depending on need.
“We are mindful of people with critical health conditions or acute health needs who can’t get to a main health hub or centre.”
A GP can link up with the team via Telemedicine when needed.
Kirsty says Brett and Diana were “fantastic”.
“They are local and came on Saturday and said ‘a trailer’s not enough, you’re going to need a truck’. On Saturday afternoon they went to the port to pick up the water for us and on Sunday came back to pack up the truck.
“It’s all been so amazing, the spirit of generosity in our community is just incredible.”
■ Fairhaven School is supporting Dave Letele’s Grace Foundation to collect items of need for families in Auckland whose houses were flooded and damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle. There will be a collection of furniture, whiteware, bedding and linen at the school on March 4 between 9am and 3pm.