View from the conservatory: A mixture of water and stones hammer neighbouring properties along the coastline. Photo / Paul Taylor
View from the conservatory: A mixture of water and stones hammer neighbouring properties along the coastline. Photo / Paul Taylor
As the frothing sea pulls back off the coast of Haumoana, thousands of pebbles on the beach rattle like cicadas as they line up for another punch at Shirley Coker's house.
From the comfort - if you can call it that - of her conservatory, the thud of the wavegives the ground a jolt as if an earthquake has struck.
Stones and salt water scatter from the air.
This is life at the house they call "Bridgeman Peninsula" on a big swell day - a day that is tinged with awe at the ocean, and fear.
Hawke's Bay has been hit by consistent swells this week. None are more exposed to them than Coker's home, one of Clifton Rd's most well-known beachfront properties.
Coker, partner of the late John Bridgeman, said some of the waves over the past few nights had been really scary, jolting and shaking the house like an earthquake.
"Some of the waves would come and crash into the wall and water would fly straight over the house.
"It jolts the house and stones that are picked up from the sea and makes a hell of a noise hitting the house."
Stones from previous swell events have already chipped and cracked some of the windows, Coker said.
It's particularly troubling at high tide in the night, when the waves can't be seen so easily, but can be heard.
"The other night the waves were really making a racket and it was making the house shake, and even the cutlery and things were shaking around in the cupboards."
Bridgeman built his own sea defensive wall in 2002 and planned to extend his construction to protect the rest of the properties along the erosion-ridden coastline that Clifton Rd runs down but that plan has since faded since his death.
An old out flow pipe gets engulfed by the sea near Clive. Photo / Paul Taylor
Coker said a deck they had off the house was sort of seen as a pointless accessory and 10 years ago converted it to a small conservatory and perfect view out towards the sea.
"The deck was rarely being used and when the wind picked up you would get the spray from the sea come in. It made it horrible to sit out there.
"But when we changed it and enclosed it to the house it made it much nicer - John would sometimes just stand by the window with one hand in his pocket, like he always did, just watching the sea and the waves come in."
In her 11 years living at the property she has never really considered moving but she did say at times like the past few days, it made her think about it.
"When you have nights with these big swells and they crash and shake the house like they do you sort of think 'what am I doing?'."
"When John was alive I felt a little safer because it never really seemed to faze him.
Rough seas battered the coast at Clive looking towards Awatoto. Photo / Paul Taylor
"But I would never leave. I just love this place and the Bay so much, the only way I will leave is if this place gets swept away."
Hastings District Council is planning to invest more than $2 million on a seawall to protect the cape coast community as it continues to lead the country with the coastal strategy.
MetService meteorologist Andrew James said the system causing the large swells out to the east was starting to ease, but people should expect it to improve by Monday.
"The pressure system to the east is slowly dying down which has left swells at 3.5m compared to 4m seen the other day.
"But those swells will still take some time to calm right down with swells of only a metre expected on Monday."
Napier Port is still stopping vessels from entering the port because the conditions are still not safe.
Councils are also still holding precautions in place with Hastings keeping the Clifton Beach area around the motor camp closed and Napier leaving its viewing platform closed with both set to evaluate the conditions on Friday and make a decision then.
