Nervous wait for word from Paris

Charlie Tawhiao was worried for the safety of his family members in Paris. Photo / File

Having three family members in Paris meant one Tauranga man's weekend was filled with concerns for their safety.

Charlie Tawhiao, manager of Moana Radio and chairman of Te Runanga o Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Trust, was worried about his daughter and granddaughters in Paris when he heard of the attacks.

Mr Tawhiao's daughter Tracey, an internationally-recognised artist, and his two granddaughters have been "holed up" in Tracey's Paris apartment waiting for the chaos to die down.

His granddaughters were meeting up with Tracey while she was exhibiting in France.

Mr Tawhiao said he last heard from his daughter and granddaughters yesterday morning and all were well.

"At the time it was happening, pretty much everyone [in Paris] was caught up in it. My granddaughter had just come in on the train from London, messages were coming in which caused a lot of concern.

"Then she met up with Tracey and they high-tailed it back to their apartment and pretty much locked themselves in there."

Mr Tawhiao said waiting for contact had been worrying.

"We're still worried about them. When I last spoke to Tracey, she said it was strange because the whole town was quiet, no traffic, everyone was hiding away.

"We were fortunate we were able to make contact. That's keeping us calm - for the moment anyway. I'll be happy when they're home."

Mr Tawhiao said Tracey's biggest concern was the loss of life.

Tracey posted on her Facebook page soon after the attacks: "I feel so sorry for the families directly affected. We are lucky to be safe... My ongoing concern is that there's more to come."