Ōtorohanga flooding: The silver lining amongst devastation, damage and disarray

Colin Payne and his partner, Frances Rawlings. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

By Lucy Xia and Marika Khabazi of RNZ

An Ōtorohanga man in his 80s is devastated by the damage and disarray at his flooded home after the weekend weather event – save the silver lining of a saved pet goat and an heirloom teddy bear that survived the waters.

Kio Kio Station Rd resident Colin Payne had to be rescued by a boat, after floodwaters came through his property in the early hours of Saturday, when the region received between 150 and 300mm of rain.

He said he had a feeling on Friday night that things could get bad when the water came up to his gate, which prompted him to move his campervan to a friend’s house in the town centre before returning home.

Payne slept about 9.30pm, not expecting that floodwaters would gush through his property, and also not knowing about the state of emergency declared in Ōtorohanga around 1am.

He woke up about 4.30am to find his bed surrounded by water.

A family heirloom teddy bear from Colin Payne's great-great-grandfather. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

The only thing Payne managed to pull out of the water before his rescue boat came – besides his medication and clothes – was an heirloom teddy bear and its chair, which was inherited from his great-great-grandparents.

Returning to check on his house for the first time on Sunday, Payne struggled to come to terms with knocked-over fridges, a fallen TV, and sentimental items strewn over the muddy floors, in rooms where they would have floated for hours.

“Coming in and seeing the mess here is a bit devastating, 85 years of collections … personal stuff and family stuff and heirlooms,” said Payne.

“How do you describe it ... I mean daunting, devastated, everything, just suddenly your life’s expired in a sort of roundabout way, if you understand what I mean, from an asset … the biggest trick is you gotta be very careful walking around in the silt because it’s very slippery.”

Colin Payne says he's devastated to see 85 years' worth of collections and family heirlooms drenched by floodwaters. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

A silver lining amid the chaos of his flood-damaged home and having to write off his drowned vehicle: Payne was relieved to find out that his pet goat, Sophie, survived, thanks to the help of neighbours.

“At least my good friend Sophie’s been rescued. That’s my favourite friend, my goat.”

Payne’s partner, Frances Rawling, who was not at the house that night, said it was hard to know where to begin when faced with the mammoth task of cleaning up.

“Once the mould sets in … it’s hard to imagine being here again,” she said.

The couple said they have a house in Te Kūiti where they can stay in the meantime.

Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

On Sunday morning, the rain resumed, and a community member with a quad bike came to help take Payne’s two steers to a safer place.

Craig Janett, who had been helping out, said he felt for the Kio Kio Station Road residents.

“A lot have been lost, one bloke down here lost all his lifestyle block… lost all their stock, washed away, just devastation, the river, the rubbish in the river, the drums, just everything rubbish.”

Payne was moved by the kindness of the community.

A washed over bridge off Kio Kio Station Road. Photo / RNZ, Marika Khabazi

“Kio Kio Station Road, K-K-S-R stands for kind, caring, supportive residents, and believe me, that applies to everyone in this street.

“Here’s two people coming this morning and taking my stock away ... I know damn well that they’ll be well looked after and they’d take them away and put them on to safer ground, and that’s the kind of community we have in K-K-S-R.”