One week on from the devastating landslides that killed eight people, Kiwis are set to come together to remember those tragically lost.
Several memorial events have been organised to mark the sombre occasion.
Just before 9.30am on Thursday, January 22, a large landslide came down from Mauao at Mount Maunganui, after Tauranga’s wettest day on record.
A section of the hillside slipped down into the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, trapping six people within it.
The victims are Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Mans Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15, and Max Furse-Kee, 15.
Another landslide about 4am that day killed a grandmother and her 10-year-old grandson on Welcome Bay Rd, Pāpāmoa.
Over the past week, the cordon at Mount Maunganui has been visited by a constant stream of mourners, many laying down flowers and leaving written messages of support. Some pause for a moment of reflection and prayer.
While there are clear reminders of the landslide, people have been trying to go back to normal life, where they can.
Businesses and cafes near the Mount have been full, and people have been swimming on parts of the beach.
Despite this, a sombre feeling flows within the community as the recovery operation for victims continues.
Human remains have been found under debris at the site of the landslide. The Coroners Court has been working to identify those victims, with the first, Max Furse-Kee, formally identified last night.
A memorial event organised by the Tauranga City Council is set for this evening, following several other fundraisers and memorial services across New Zealand.
Another event is organised for 9am at the Pilot Bay cordon.
Pilot Bay vigil organiser Tanya Golaboski invited the community to join with a minute’s silence planned for 9.30am, followed by a karakia.
“I just felt ... so heavy and so sad with what’s happened with Mauao. Mauao has been a big part of so many of our lives for so long,” Golaboski said.
“That’s what the Mount is, it’s Mauao.”
There will also be a remembrance event outside the Welcome Bay Hall and Welcome Bay Community Centre at 2pm on Saturday.
The Tauranga City Council event today is set to begin at 7pm at Coronation Park, and karakia will begin at 8pm.
“Let’s gather in aroha to support one another, to honour those who are missing and those whose lives have been lost, and to hold close all who have been affected by the recent landslides in Tauranga,” a council statement said.
The council said this gathering of the community will allow people to stand in solidarity with the families affected by the tragedy.
“We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families,” the council said.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said in a statement that “there is no right way to grieve”.
“Some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome,” Drysdale said.
Several vigils have already taken place both in the Mount Maunganui community and throughout the country.
On Sunday evening, a crowd of about 200 sat on a bank at Blake Park.
Organiser Rachel Bailie said the event was impromptu, put together for people who hadn’t had a chance to share their sorrow.
On Monday, about 100 people, including teenagers, gathered at the Auckland Domain to remember Pakūranga College student Sharon Maccanico.
In the days before the disaster, Sharon was on summer holiday with family and fellow teenager, Max Furse-Kee, 15, who is also among those missing. A final photo of the pair together was shared just days before.
The “open, peaceful gathering” welcomed anyone who wanted to “stand in unity, to grieve, to remember, and to pay their respects and honour Sharon, who touched so many hearts”.
The recovery operation at the Mount Maunganui landslide continues with police warning it could take days or even weeks.
Last week’s storm also killed 47‑year‑old Kiribati man Tekanimaeu Arobati when he was swept away in water at the Mahurangi River, near Warkworth, at 7.41am on January 21.
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