Jacinda Ardern returned to Whakatāne for the first time since the aftermath of the Whakaari White Island eruption which killed 21 people and seriously injured 25 others.
The Labour leader had morning tea with the first responders - on what is the nine month anniversary of the tragedy.
Ms Ardern was struck by the resilience of the tight-knit community, which, as one first responder put it, has had its recovery hijacked by Covid-19.
RNZ political reporter Yvette McCullough and cameraman Dom Thomas were there.
