A Rotorua property manager who died in the Mount Maunganui landslide has been remembered for the lives she touched and the “the aroha she gave so generously”.
Susan Doreen Knowles, from Ngongotahā, was one of two Rotorua women who were victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide.
Knowles was with her long-time friend Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, also from Rotorua, on their annual summer camping trip, according to another friend.
Police confirmed on Saturday the pair, both aged 71, were among six victims of a massive slip from Mauao that swept through the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park and the Mount Hot Pools on Thursday at 9.31am.
The others were teacher Lisa Maclennan, 50, from Morrinsville, Mans Bernhardsson, 20, from Sweden, and Auckland students Sharon Maccanico, 15, and Max Furse-Kee, 15.
An initial rescue operation on Adams Ave turned to a recovery on Saturday, with police saying human remains had been found.
“Tragically, it is now apparent that we will not be able to bring them home alive,” Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said.
Yesterday, police halted the search after a crack caused fears of another slip into the campground.
Staff were evacuated at 11.50am. “It is unsafe for anyone working under the slip,” Anderson said.
“We understand the frustrations this will cause. We’ve had to do that for the safety of everyone concerned.”
Police were consulting experts and bringing in more sophisticated equipment to try to understand the area.
Senior Constable Barry Shepherd told Newstalk ZB authorities did not know how long the recovery would take.
“It’s tricky because this is a big landslide. There’s a lot of dirt, a lot of mud and there’s some people in there somewhere and we are desperately looking for them. It’s a big job.”
In a statement to the Rotorua Daily Post, Belinda Yabsley and Tony Goldsack said Sue Knowles was “more than just our property manager of many years – she was a trusted friend and a true community spirit”.
“Some losses are so profound that language simply can’t hold the weight of the grief. Sue’s passing has left a space that can’t be filled, only carried.
“We always looked forward to opening our door to Sue in her trusty gumboots and that unforgettable smile that would brighten any day, before settling into long conversations filled with laughter and banter.”
They said Sue had “a rare way of making people feel truly valued and heard”.
“Sue’s love for her horses, family, holidays and her community shaped the way she lived and worked. Sue’s legacy lives on in the many friendships she built, the lives she touched and the aroha she gave so generously.”
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Eves Rotorua said it was devastated by the news of their colleague.
Knowles was a valued member of the property management team and “an integral part of our wider community”.
“She was known for her kindness and care for those around her, and her loss will be felt by many.”
A profile on the Eves website said she enjoyed horse riding and mountain biking, along with spending time with her close-knit family.
Alison Holtom, a friend of Knowles for almost a decade, told RNZ that Knowles was on her annual summer camping trip with Wheeler, her long-time camping buddy.
“They stay here at the Mount, her and Jackie, for about a month every year,” Holtom told RNZ. “They rent a caravan every year as long as I’ve known her.”
One year, Holtom joined them for a night. She said she shared many good times with Knowles, who she knew through horse riding.
“Sue was just an absolute delight ... beautiful smile. Just the loveliest lady, honestly just the loveliest ... she always greeted everyone [with] ‘How are you, blossom?’ That’s what she always said.”
Holtom said their friends, all from horse riding, were shocked and could not believe what happened.
Knowles was hailed as a hero in April 2023 when she saved the life of her 5-year-old granddaughter, who was being attacked by a dog.
Wheeler was the founder of Colour Concepts, an interior design store in Rotorua.
According to the business’ website, Wheeler and her husband Terry Wheeler started the business in 2002, and their daughter Chelcie was now a key member of their team.
Rotorua councillor Gregg Brown said the women were friends and had been good customers of the cafe he owned, Capers. He said he knew Knowles particularly well and described her as “a delightful human being”.
“She helped us in her role at Eves a number of times and we were very grateful for her contribution.“
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said Rotorua was a small town and she knew of the two women.
“They’re good friends of friends.
“They are parents, they are grandparents and we’re just absolutely devastated for their families and all families involved.“
Students Sharon and Max attended Auckland’s Pakūranga College together and were on holiday together with family when tragedy struck.
Max has been remembered by his family as a “kind, loving and joyful young man who brought light to everyone around him”.
Max was a keen sportsman and a talented basketball player, described as someone who “brought so much joy, laughter and light” to others’ lives.
This week would have marked his 16th birthday, a milestone his family had been looking forward to celebrating.
His mother, Hannah Furse, said the love she had for her son was “impossible to explain”.
“No words are big enough to describe this love or the loss we are feeling,” Furse said.
“From the moment I first looked into his beautiful blue eyes almost 16 years ago, he had my whole heart. He was my sunshine.”
Italian media reported Sharon is originally from Avellino, Italy.
The Identity Dance Company has paid tribute to Sharon on Instagram, calling her a “beautiful soul from our dance community” – “wildly talented, kind, and so deeply loved”.
On Instagram, Pakūranga College shared the news of the two students’ deaths with “deep sadness”.
Principal of Morrinsville Intermediate Jenny Clark described Maclennan as an “amazing Literacy Centre tutor” at the school.
“Our love and aroha go out to Lisa’s family”, Clark said.
Maclennan has been hailed a hero for waking holidaymakers up to warn them the bank behind the camp was deteriorating before the slip.
Police said Bernhardsson, 20, was from Sweden.
Sweden’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed one of its citizens is unaccounted for in New Zealand.
A police media statement on Saturday said the responsibility for identifying the victims, along with other legal processes, would pass to the Coroners Court and an internationally approved process for disaster victim identification was being followed.
Victims would be taken to the Hamilton mortuary, where any post-mortem examinations required would take place, along with victim identification.