Speaking to Tangiwai: A Forgotten History, Kirton, the current Ruapehu District Mayor who served in the role during the late 90s as well, was on the mountain at the time.
“It was a beautifully fine blue sky, but the mountain was erupting, this big plume of black ash. It was lightning and thunder in the middle of the day.
“People were still carrying on as though it was just going to pass, it was unbelievable.”
He recalls how his daughter was in a training room, learning to be lift operator, and she told him that they were going to be continuing with the training even as the volcano erupted.
As the eruption continued, Kirton says that people did start to act, while the ash cloud disrupted flights and caused delays across the country.
Eruptions continued for weeks and damaged crops, killed livestock, and ultimately cost the local economy tens of millions of dollars in damage.
In 2023 the attitude of the area has changed considerably to one of constant readiness - a mindset of when the next eruption occurs, not if.
A new emergency services headquarters has been established in the national park to gather all the relevant services in one location to monitor and respond to warnings triggered by the elaborate electronic monitoring system overseen by volcanologists.
“That’s something we’ve learned. You need something on the spot so you’re not affected by lack of access,” said Kirton.
He said that the eruptions in the 90s saw some people travel to the site to get a closer look, but noted that when Mt Ruapehu erupted next any would-be social media influencers wouldn’t be given an option to get selfies with the volcanic action.
“There would be powers from authorities to get people off there ... they won’t be mucking around.”
Yet the casual approach of people towards these disasters hints to our casual approach towards our natural environment - and a lack of understanding of the threats our landscape poses.
Former Conservation Minister Chris Carter told the podcast that in his time holding that portfolio taught him many things, but one thing dominated all others.
“New Zealand is not a particularly safe place. It hasn’t got poisonous snakes. It hasn’t got large carnivorous mammals. But it does have a very dynamic natural environment. It’s a country with earthquakes, very fast-flowing rivers, very mountainous terrain.”
So how prepared are our authorities for the next Mt Ruapehu eruption, or another natural disaster? What have we learned from other tragedies in our recent history? And why are we reluctant to remember the past?
Tangiwai: A Forgotten History is available at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. The series was made with the support of NZ On Air. For video and photos, go to nzherald.co.nz/tangiwai
