Cyclone Gabrielle: Generous bach owners open doors to those left homeless

The coastal settlement of Waimārama, near Hastings, has become home to a group of Cyclone Gabrielle ‘refugees’ after bach owners kindly offered up their holiday houses as temporary homes for strangers.

About 13 families made homeless in the cyclone have moved into baches at the settlement, which is about a 40-minute drive southeast of Hastings.

Amongst them are Kelsi and Jeremy Strampel and children Aria, 11, and Alex, 7, (plus dogs Poto and Beaudy) whose home in Taradale was yellow-stickered after being flooded. The house, which they bought about 10 years ago, is expected to be uninhabitable for at least three months.

Their home, on Gloucester Street, was one of numerous properties in the area, including the Eastern Institute of Technology, to be inundated by the Tutaekuri River. About 30cm of flowing water went through their recently renovated three-bedroom home, leaving a 5-10cm think layer of silt in its wake.

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The kids moved to an uncle’s place in Tauranga and Kelsi and Jeremy stayed with friends in Napier while looking for somewhere they and the kids could live.

They were unsure what they’d do long-term, until hearing of an idea floated by Waimārama store owner Luke Shadbolt (known locally as the “Waimārama Mayor”), whereby he put “refugees” in touch with bach owners who were willing to help.

“Luke put our names forward and within an hour I had about six phone calls and some messages from people wanting to help us. It was amazing,” Kelsi said.

The Strampels are renting the bach from an owner who lives in Havelock North and does not wish to be named.

“It’s very fair and very kind, much less than what it would cost to rent in town,” Kelsi said.

The Strampel’s house was insured, but not their contents, much of which has had to be discarded.

“We’re pretending it’s a holiday, but of course it’s not,” Kelsi said of their predicament.

Shadbolt said on top of the 12-13 “refugee” families who’d moved into strangers’ baches, there were also several owners who had moved into their baches because their homes in Hastings or Napier had been destroyed.

He said many of the baches were rented out through Airbnb or similar agencies , with owners taking “a significant financial hit” and cancelling Easter bookings by choosing to rent them to refugees.

“A lot of other bach owners were keen to help out but were concerned about restrictions in the Residential Tenancies Act. I think that’s something that might need to be looked at when it comes to situations like this,” Shadbolt said.

Some baches at the beach attract a nightly rate of more than $1000 in summer and $450 in winter.

Waimārama residents had delivered each refugee family a gift package, and a pot luck dinner was going to be organised at the local hall when they were all settled in.

Hundreds of people in Napier and Hastings were displaced as a result of the cyclone, but the exact number was unknown as many had been staying with friends and family or have organised their own accommodation directly with the Temporary Accommodation Service.

Of the building inspections completed to date in the Hastings, 84 properties have been red-stickered (entry prohibited) and 674 yellow-stickered (restricted access).

In Napier four properties have been red-stickered and 114 yellow-stickered.