The weather may have decimated Hawke's Bay's Haupouri Station but the multimillion-dollar New Zealand Performance Horses breeding operation will not be hindered.
It's been a heart-breaking few weeks for Juliet and Warwick Hansen as they've had to stand by and watch great chunks of their land slip away after relentless rain.
The station had 800mls of rain in two days - twice what Cyclone Bola dumped on them. The Hansens flew over the property in a helicopter to better see what the weather had dealt to them.
"We've probably lost 50 per cent of Haupouri Station," says Mr Hansen. "That lovely long strip of green along the beach front that is so iconic at Haupouri will never be the same again - it has completely slipped away and will probably never be farmed again."
This is land that has been in his wife's family for six generations. When they moved to the farm 25 years ago they turned the 20 large paddocks into 110 - now most of the fences are gone, with 300 or so hectares.
Colts and geldings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are running riot out the back of the farm, locked in by the water, but still safe.
"We saw a Mr Blue colt standing on a 30m slip - what can you do but hope they'll be OK. It is a little heart-stopping but you know if they survive this, they'll be good top eventers."
As well as the 14,000 sheep and 2500 cattle, Haupouri is home to about 180 horses, ranging from babies to the brood mares and top showjumpers.
"We have records that go back 140 years and this is definitely the worst ever - it is a one-in-500 year storm for us."
It took them days just to clear the 1km from the house to the stables.
Bulldozers and diggers are working to clear the tracks around the farm.
Mr Hansen says they've been heartened by the outpouring of support from so many in the horse community who have called to make sure they're safe.
"It's all so crazy," he says. "We battled droughts for four years and made it through, and in two days, it's all gone."
The storm hit without warning.
"We're trying to make good and rational decisions amongst it all. We'll probably intensify our horse business after this, and do a lot more plantings out the back of the farm. One thing's for sure though - Ocean Beach will never look the same."
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