OMG is about all I can say. I was stuck in the mighty Hawkes Bay when the Cyclone hit! Luck was on our side & the bach wasnt touched at all apart from back & front yard flooding. Across the road, when I ventured out was completely under water as most of Taradale was. Trees were down, power was out, cell communication non existent as was the net, petrol was at a limit of $40, money machines were down & over a few hours the Hawkes Bay had become a cash only society.

Forget your credit or eftpos cards, they simply didnt work, it was cash only for those out to make a dollar or 3, too many folk wanted to make quick buck from peoples misery over pulling together as one. For example the wonderful people at Pandoro Cafe giving away free food before it went off, free coffee & a happy face asking how people were dealing with the State of Emergency, whereas just down the road a chap was selling stock at inflated prices & cash only was in bold lettering. I asked ‘How the f&*K was one to buy these goods without cash’ without access to the hole in the wall that was once reliable?

I had to laugh at the idle electric power waka stations. Wow electric cars do well without power….not! Cell towers that rely on….you got it power! The main substation that was built in front of a flood bank! Not so great thinking or foresite in this guys humble opinion.

Now the looting has started & anarchy seems inevitable unless the Govt takes control. Send in the army if need be, just to keep people safe or even if they might think its safe to venture out to find food, power, water or money. More information is required, for the people of this wonderful place called the Hawkes Bay.

I managed to get out on Saturday afternoon before the waka ran out of gas, Im lucky, very thankful to the person that let me use his sat phone, or the wonderful wahine that let me email my whanau just to inform them I was ok as I hadnt be able to touch base for 3 days. These are our heros, maybe only my heros, but god ohhh mighty god thank you, faafetai lava, noho ora mai.

Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui

Pat & the Pixelz tima