Local Focus: Dartmoor residents ready to reconnect

After a month cut off from the rest of Hawke’s Bay Dartmoor residents were in need of a bit of a treat when they fired up the gas cookers.

“We’re having a community barbecue and trying to lift everyone’s spirits because we’ve been isolated for so long,” said resident Sonia Janson.

When Cyclone Gabrielle hit the region on February 14, the bridge connecting Dartmoor with Napier was washed away.

Dartmoor residents use an inflatable boat to cross the Mangaone River. Photo / Ian Cooper

The Dartmoor community currently relies on inflatable boats and a pulley system to get across the Mangaone River and into town.

Resident Alice Beamish said her house is fine, but her farm is “in a bit of a shambles”.

“It’s the first time we’ve got together as a hub. Our kids haven’t been back to school since the cyclone, so it’s really cool for them to get together and see some kids from school,” she said.

Dartmoor children share gift boxes with friends.

Providing food to cut-off communities like Dartmoor has been a mammoth logistical task, but plenty of people are willing to lend a hand.

The community barbecue was organised by volunteers, with food by Silence of the Lambs Catering Company.

Owner Mike Moloney has catered for around 2200 people.

Moloney and other volunteers have no plans to stop. They will provide meals at Waipatu Marae this Friday, and at Eskdale Valley next Friday.

Hairdressers Denise Bekker and Saskia Janson have given 13 people fresh looks.

“We’ve also got a massage therapist coming next week to help with mental health and get people to focus on other things rather than clearing roads,” said Janson.

The Dartmoor community had power restored last Saturday.

“We don’t need the generator anymore, and can have hot showers and use the washing machine and dishwasher,” said Janson.

Restoring road access is still a way off, but a temporary bridge and a ford will be built soon.

Ashlee Sullivan said that the new temporary bridge is going to go across where the old bridge was and hold about 40 tons.

A temporary road means a lot for local farmers. There are over 20 farms in Dartmoor full of stock, which urgently need to be moved.

“We don’t have the feed to take them for winter and really need to de-stock them and get them to the market,” said Sulliva.

The one-lane temporary bridge will take about eight weeks to construct while the ford will be done in two to four weeks.

Public Interest Journalism Fund