BS: new zealand floods

Subject: BS: new zealand floods
From: RangerSteve
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 08:39 AM

I just heard from someone over in NZ that they got 15 inches of rain, with more to come. Hopefully, this isn't causing too much trouble for any Mudcatters over there. Wait, this sounds callous, like if you're not a Mudcatter, I don't care, but that's not what I meant.
Anyway, I hope you're all ok. Let us know how things are going.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: freda underhill
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 08:40 AM

hope all those NZ Muddycatters are doing okay..

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Bobjack
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 12:01 PM

Do they have computers over there? I was on the North island in 1999 and I'm sure they didn't have any then.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Little Robyn
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 01:55 PM

No flooding (yet) in Hawke's Bay. But the Morris dancers have an outdoor dance-out tonight and another storm is supposed to be heading our way. (I promise we won't do the Shepherd's Hey.)
Most of the damage is in low lying suburbs in Wellington and farming communities in the lower half of the North island. I think bad planning and lax maintenance of stop banks might have something to do with the amount of damage. But there was certainly a lot of water dumped over the country in a few short hours and the forecast is for more later today.
I hope it drains away soon - we have another dance-out on Saturday!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 01:59 PM

well - Billy the Bus is on a small island - so hopefully shouldn't have too much difficulty unless the ocean level is effected.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 05:08 PM

I was told today that the field my brother-in-law sold (with designer house) that had a stream about 4 feet down had flooded and the pond (at least 6 feet above stream level) is now about 100 feet across which makes a change from the dry lawn it made two summers ago. This is in Paraparamumu, which on a global scale is about 1/2 inch from Wellington. Or 1 hours drive up State Highway 1.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 07:11 PM

So it's not my dumb sister in Auckland leaving the taps on overnight again then?!

Hope all are OK.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 10:50 PM

I hope Billy the Bus is okay, too!

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Hrothgar
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 05:26 AM

Hope the Poms from Oz are all right - they were running around the North Island somewhere, according to the postcard they sent last week.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Little Robyn
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 01:53 PM

Well, our dance-out went OK - just a bit windy.
Then just after midnight the next storm came through and we had a downpour that lasted about half an hour and then it was over. The sky is a beautiful blue this morning, but I am in sunny Hawke's Bay!
The news in Wellington isn't so good. The main road north is blocked at Paekakariki (once again), the Rimutaka hill road has slips both sides and some cars were stuck at the summit, I believe, and the Akatarawa road is also closed so anyone wanting to leave Wellington will have to catch a plane, unless you fancy a boat trip across Cook Strait. The Manawatu gorge is closed as well and other minor roads in country areas have also been washed out.
We have another dance-out on Saturday so I hope the water will have had time to soak in by then.
Sam, how are you doing in the deep south?
Cheers,
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Mr Red
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 04:59 PM

My neice lives in Hawkes Bay - Te Awanga two roads back from the beach but then isn't everyone that near to the weather front?
Te Awanga (for those who may never find it on the map) is merely half a blink on the blink and you miss it scale.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Feb 04 - 01:24 AM

Our Squire, Gordon and his wife, Lynette live in Te Awanga - in Kuku Street.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 12:25 AM

Our Saturday dance-out was great! Again it was a bit windy but not too bad yet here in Hawke's Bay. But the TV news is showing lots of damage in other parts of NZ. I don't know if there are any mudcatters in the Manawatu area. That seems to be the worst hit, with some homes swept away and quite a few with flood water right through their houses.
There's still another front or two due to pass across the country in the next few days. Some summer this has been!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: GUEST,Little Robyn
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 12:27 AM

The last two were from me!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: mouldy
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 02:52 AM

As someone who lives in the next village to the one that was flooded for weeks in the heavy rains of November 2000, here in Yorkshire, you have my sympathies. It took ages to dry out all the buildings and repair them. All the mess and muck has finally just about disappeared as phase 2 of the improved flood defences has finished, and there are no more lorries up and down the lanes. The cost was somewhere in the region of £5,000,000.

My son has just started work in flood defence with the Environment Agency in Wales, and he is talking about moving out to New Zealand in a few years' time, when he has some more experience. He's hopefully about to start a course on coastal and riverbank erosion at Cardiff University.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Mr Red
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 03:02 AM

Robyn -
What a small world it is becoming.
Kirin & Justin live in Clifton Rd (in the 300's) with their son & daughter (4 & 2)
They are not folkies at all.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: open mike
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 03:15 AM

do you have a lot of extra "A's" down there?
You sure seem to have a lot of them in your
place names. I thought Canada had a lot of
"eh's" but i think you may have them beat.

Paraparamumu
Te Awanga
Paekakariki
Akatarawa
Rimutaka
Manawatu

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Little Robyn
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 06:02 AM

We also have Taumatawhakatangihangakoauautamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu!
That's in south Hawke's Bay but I must admit I've never been there.
Mr Red, what is their surname? Clifton Road is a mile or two long.
We've been having hurricane force winds tonight but they seem to have died down now (midnight).
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 11:02 AM

My sister used to live in Takapuna, meaning 'place where there was once a pond which has now dried up'. Bit ironic really. She always was a bit of a drip.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: JennieG
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 09:00 PM

Liz,
A friend of mine also lived in Takapuna - before she and her family saw the light and moved to Oz.
Open Mike - my grandmother was born in Aratapu (North Island NZ) - is than enough "A's"?
Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Peace
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 09:11 PM

I don't know anyone in NZ, but I hope y'all are safe.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Feb 04 - 01:27 PM

Robyn - their name is Harrison - (the younger) Justin's parents have a vinyard on Clifton Rd too.

The wedding in Pararam was a fountain of cabernet sauvignon and Rooster beer (Justin's brother's brewery). I had to man the video camera and stay sober! But the hired harpist knew a few O'Carolan tunes so I could enjoy them properly.

No where exactly is Waikikamucow?

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Little Robyn
Date: 22 Feb 04 - 02:01 PM

Was Celia your wedding harpist?
Waikikamucow (why kick a moo cow for those who can't pronounce Maori spelling) is at the back of Beyond - it's not here - we're civilized here!
However, a female dairy farmer was on telly last night, showing how one of her cows saved her life during the floods. She'd cut a fence to let the herd through to safety but they headed for the river - the Manawatu, heading for the gorge. She was trying to divert them when they pushed her in and they all went floating away. She was knocked under by passing cows until she managed to grab hold of one of them and it pulled her to safety. Otherwise, she would have been our first storm fatality. The cow doesn't have a name, just a number!
Another storm is on it's way - tonight and tomorrow, I think. Batten down the hatches!
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Little Robyn
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 02:35 AM

Mr Red, I've checked with your neice and they had no problems either.
Our next dance-out is at the fair at Hohepa Homes - where I work during the day and Kirin said she was intending to come and see the craft stalls. It's in a couple of weeks so I hope the weather settles before then.
Robyn

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Gurney
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 04:09 AM

Getting a bit better now, but still a lot of folks without power. The linesmen keep putting them up and the trees keep knocking them down. The ground is saturated and the wind high, and the linesmen knackered.
The wind caused a LOT of floating trees to block culverts and knock down bridges.

I'm well out of it in Auckland, and it wasn't nice here.

Subject: RE: BS: new zealand floods
From: Little Robyn
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 05:11 AM

It's just starting to pour down again here - 11pm Monday, but this rain band is meant to pass over by morning.
I've just seen my 2nd cousin on tv news, talking about damage to his dairy farm. For any rugby fans from about 15-20 years ago, cousin Gary Knight used to be an All Black with number 3 on his back. He was worried about paying his mortgage without an income. It's supposed to be the most damaging natural disaster in NZ since the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
Robyn