Cyclone Gabrielle: Locals say Tangoio Marae protected its people from the impacts of the storm

Tangoio Marae is devastated.

Its floors have been coated in a knee-deep sea of mud - so much that those who have kept the heart of this spiritual place 25 kilometres north of Napier beating were lost for words.

It took the full force of Cyclone Gabrielle.

As kaumatua and kuia visit for the first time, it is again flooded – with tears.

Tangoio Marae chairman Hōri Reti believes in the power of the marae. He says in taking the brunt of the devastation, the marae saved the locals.

It’s a place that had been through historic times, including flooding from Cyclone Bola in 1988, but there were good times too. Among the more notable were some of the 1996-2000 Waitangi Tribunal hearings which led to the Maungaharuru Tangitu Treaty Settlement signing 10 years ago, or the welcome “home” of Sir Jerry Mateparae in 2015, a Governor-General who could whakapapa back to the marae through his father.

The tears of joy from the settlement signing of May 25, 2013 were replaced by the tears of grief as claimant Bevan Taylor and claim lawyer Tania Hopmans, now chairwoman of Maungaharuru-Tangitu Trust, blessed and then entered the wharenui with Reti.

Reti’s seen floods before. He was on the front line heading Te Taiwhenua o Te Whanganui ā Orotu in the response to the Napier flood of November 9, 2020.

But this was something else.

Kaumatua Bevan Taylor visits Tangoio Marae in the aftermath of the flooding. Photo / Paul Taylor

“I live in view of my marae. Every time I look at it, it’s sad. Every time. No one time is easy, walking through. We still mourn because our taonga is still sitting there,” Reti said.

“We don’t want to jeopardise [the] safety of our people, but at the same time, we want to get them out as soon as we can.

The community is working on establishing access to the front of the marae to retrieve carvings and tukutuku panels from the wharenui, of which the total extent of damage is not yet known.

People from near and far have offered to help with restoration.

“We are a manaaki people. Naturally, we come together in times of crisis, in times of need, and that’s been felt from the wider community too. We’ve had many, many people offer support,” Reti said.

Over the road from the marae, an emotional Elaine Cook, daughter of Taylor, said she feels blessed flooding only reached her and her husband Ross’ trees, not their home.

Tangoio Marae was devastated after Hawke's Bay was smashed by Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Mike Scott

Other houses, like her cousin Hoani’s home by the marae, have been severely damaged.

She and her husband were walking around in waist-deep water trying to save sheep when the flooding hit before the fire brigade later rescued Hoani, who sheltered at the Cooks’ home.

Cook said the strength of whānau had stayed with them.

“I do a lot of praying,” she said.

Describing the impact of the rain, Reti said families were “just bracing and hoping that it was going to stop, as we could hear the thundering of the river”.

When they woke up and saw the extent of the debris and damage in the daylight, they were shocked.

Sea’s Up said they wanted to help feed those who were working on the flood recovery. Photo / Mike Scott

“It was just amazing how it went around us and not through us, like it did with our marae.

“I believe our marae took the impact for all of the people that descend down from those ancestors in the basin of the valley, right throughout the whole valley. We are very lucky and blessed to be here.”

They feel immense sadness for the neighbouring community in the Esk Valley.

“I’m sad for those who have lost their homes, and those who have lost their lives,” Cook said, through tears.

The community was cut off for days as trees and thick silt covered State Highway 2 to Napier.

Reti said infrastructure will need to be fixed to rebuild the community.

Locals sprang into action, with families that owned machinery clearing the road.

Around the Tangoio community, one thing echoes - thankfulness for the community and the first responders who helped.

Local companies have been pitching in to help affected communities.

Tatiana Baker, from food truck Sea’s Up, said they wanted to help feed those who were working on the flood recovery.

“Being stuck in Napier, we weren’t affected in our area, so we thought about coming together with our neighbours the Hunts, who have access to free food,” she said.

Each day, they’ve been going to different isolated areas to provide lunches or dinners.

The past few days, the truck has hit different marae – Waiohiki, Moteo and Tangoio.

“It’s sad. Pretty overwhelming, too, because, the look on people’s faces - they’re just getting a hot burger and a little bit of chips, but they’re just so happy to get fed,” Baker said.