Appreciating how lucky we are

The latest bout of terrible weather that prompted only the third state of emergency in New Zealand’s history was a reminder that none of us can be complacent.

Ōtaki’s manaakitanga came to the fore as locals responded with supplies and cash to our cousins elsewhere in the country who had been devastated by the worst flooding in recent memory. We know it could happen here.

But as we saw the images and news reports from other regions, it seemed almost surreal in Ōtaki because there was little evidence locally of anything amiss. We got a bit of a breeze – just a hint of Cyclone Gabrielle’s force – and a few patches of rain, but nothing to cause us to abandon what we would do in our everyday lives.

We even got a kite festival in that presented “Sunny Ōtaki” in all its glory. While we basked in the sun and enjoyed the kite festival, our flat whites at local cafes and a swim in the river, it might have occurred to some of us just how lucky we are in this part of Godzone.

But that could all be reversed in a matter of hours as a result of the now glaringly obvious climate change. The flood modelling shows that much of Ōtaki – especially from the beach to the township –could be inundated if we have a severe storm and corresponding king tide. Recent experience in other regions shows us also that unprecedented rain in the hills could cause our rivers to overflow.

We’re very lucky here, but we need to be prepared for when we’re not. The website getready.govt.nz is a good place to start.

Debbi Carson, editor

Otaki Museum

49 Main Street • Ō taki • 06 364 6886

Discover the heritage of our town and its people, through a changing programme of exhibitions.

Current Exhibition

“The way we were, glimpses of days gone by.” FOLLOWED BY “Stories from the Railway.”