The aftermath of cyclone Gabrielle from above in Hawke's Bay. Video / Hastings District Council, Matt O'Kane
A blue-sky day was made a bit brighter for some Hawke’s Bay schools on Wednesday as the Royal NZ Air Force touched down to facilitate a special gift exchange and reconnect on the anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle.
“It has a much calmer and more relaxed feeling than a year ago,” he said.
Students from Havelock North Primary School load gifts for Kererū Primary School onto the NH90 helicopter. Photo / NZ Defence Force
Havelock North Primary School students were the first to greet No 3 Squadron. An army of students helped load up an NH90 helicopter with dozens of gift boxes filled with food and supplies to be delivered to Kererū Primary School.
From there, after students had the opportunity to look around the helicopter, it was on to Kererū Primary School, which was left isolated and damaged for weeks by the events of February 14 last year.
Some pupils could get to school only by hitching a ride on a tractor-trailer.
“It’s really cool for us to check in on these communities and see how they are going,” Huddleston said. “They are all positive and thriving. They’re still affected, but they are getting on with their lives.”
The NH90 helicopter takes to the skies over Hawke's Bay on the anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / NZ Defence Force
Kererū Primary School principal Kelsie Allen said she was overwhelmed by the generosity and the kindness of people.
She had never met Havelock North Primary School teacher Annie Boyd, who organised the event.
“She said she wanted to do this and I’m still shocked. It will take a while to unpack,” Allen said.
“This will affect the community in such a positive way. Our community has come together following the cyclone really closely. This is just another way to bring us together.”
Despite progress in the region, the Kererū Gorge remains out of action, and one of the school’s teachers still has to ride a bike across farmland to get to work.
Another severely affected school was Eskdale Primary, and it was Hastings Boys’ High School who jumped into action to facilitate an exchange.
A rousing haka greeted Air Force staff at Hastings Boys' High School. Photo / NZ Defence Force
No 3 Squadron was welcomed onto the school field with a rousing haka.
Head boy Osiris White Munro and deputy Brayden Reeve were chosen to board the NH90 and flew with the crew to Eskdale, where they met fellow pupils to present their financial koha.
Neither Munro nor Reeve had been in a helicopter before and said they were “truly stoked” to have been given the opportunity.
“You wouldn’t even realise we had a cyclone a year ago with all the progress we’ve made. But there are still communities out there that are hard hit,” Munro said.
“It’s a true honour and we both appreciate this opportunity. It’s hard to put into words how far we’ve come as a community and as individuals,” Reeve said.
Eskdale Primary School principal Tristan Cheer said the school had been told earlier in the week about the anniversary commemorations and that Hastings Boys’ High School had collected koha to give them.
“But the thing our students were most excited about was the Air Force’s helicopter landing on our field.”
