Thursday and tsunamis

Can you believe it is Thursday again!!!!!  Is it an age thing or a reality thing when all of a sudden days and weeks are seemingly stolen from right under your nose?  You barely have mourned the loss of yesterday before you are farewelling today, surely that isn’t right.

Another beautiful day tin Tutukaka

So we woke again to a beautiful Tutukaka day, they have to be coming from somewhere right?  So where ever it is that is cold, raining and grey, we pass on our apologies we also pass on our sincerest thanks.

At 7.03am there was the earthquake located at the Kermadic Islands and 20k deep, registering at 7.6.  I have to say that the response of Civil Defence, the locals and visitors was fabulous.  Cell phones not only chimed with the warning, they rang with people ensuring the message was getting out, then the chimes and rings where joined with the sound of the civil defence alarms.  One located outside Schnapper Rock and the other located on the corner of Oceans Resort Hotel.

View from Ngunguru School

Ngunguru School was fantastic!!!  Having two young children attending and the knowledge that the school sits practically on the beach it was a wonderful relief having the knowledge that the school is well and truly ready.  Children were photo registered, lined up and marched promptly up the hill to a safe place, a place where all parents knew.  When my two got home that afternoon and were grilled “in a nonchalant way” not only were they aware of what was going on and aware of the serious nature of the situation, they were also relaxed and feeling safe.  AWESOME.  Of course there was concern if “Mum and Dad were going to be all right” and that is normal, and they have been reassured that we too have a safe place and a list of rules that we follow when the alarm sounds.

However it didn’t eventuate to much marine wise but it did allow the people of Tutukaka the ability to realise that the situation, should it occur again, has its process, has its communication and has very skilled people ready to jump into action.  Coastguard NZ and the other volunteer services all ready to go should they have been required.  It also gives everyone the chance to review any processes.  If it should ever happen as an extreme event I can put my hand over my heart and say I feel safe living here.

Oksana, Lukasz and Carlie

I am an incredibly proud Cantab, I will be wearing my red and blacks on Saturday.   Today I was proud to be a Tutukakian (not sure if that is a word), what a wonderful, wonderful bunch of people live on this coast.  You really do need to meet them

Click here to see a video that features two of our locals about the tsunami today being interviewed, one of which is the wonderful Kate Malcom from Dive! Tutukaka.  Kate and the team at Dive! Tutukaka have a great product and are very proud of the coast and the beauty of our Marine world.  So if you are coming this way and want to see why we were voted the second best coastal area by National Geographic head out on Perfect Day, you will never question again:)

Kind of obvious where my paradise was today, my meaning of life.  It was the pride to be a part of this community and a part of our team.  You will see it and feel it when you arrive here too.