The autumn sun shining on the green valley of Marahau gives no hint of the fear in which many are still living.
Marahau was hit hard by rain and slips when ex-cyclone Gita swept through the Tasman district. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
Last month torrents of mud and giant logs swept down the hills at the start of the Abel Tasman National Park, through houses and across fertile farm paddocks, smothering crops and stock grazing land.
Rainfall brought down by ex-tropical cyclone Gita brought was said by some to have reached 200mm in three hours.
Phil Reed, who lives in the Otuwhero Valley in nearby Sandy Bay, watched a lahar of boulders and trees smash past his own home.
Phil Reed Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
"It was like a huge moving gully of black water. Trees were breaking, the rocks were smashing together and as they went past my house I was pretty freaked out. I was trapped - I didn't know what to do."
Merv Hall moved to the sanctuary of the Marahau Valley Farm Community after the trauma of the Christchurch earthquakes. But now he's dealing with flood damage to his home which has forced him out temporarily.
He said it was a miracle no one was killed in the storm.
"When the tidal waves came through the log-jams would release and we'd get these waves of water that would have been six, seven even eight metres high."
Merv Hall, who lives at the Marahau Valley Farm Community. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
He said they remained in fear of more forest harvest being swept down the hill onto properties, as the cleanup was moving too slowly.
"We've still got a large log-jam in the stream above us. Further up there's a partial slip with logs just hanging there, ready to fall into the gully, and right at the top of the hill there's still stuff at the edge of the cliff," Mr Hall said.
Within days of the storm a digger was at his property, chewing through the lush bamboo which had formed a natural barrier against worse damage.
Mr Hall said the work now seemed to have stopped.
Merv Hall said this stream was producing waves up to eight metres high during the storm. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
"They worked on it for about 10 days and then the diggers left, and we've been left with an enormous mess. They've told us they're coming back, but in what capacity we're not sure."
Tasman Forest Management looks after the Marahau plantations on behalf of a combination of owners, including a Chinese state-owned entity CNBN Forest products, and local iwi.
Manager Craig McMiken said they were doing all they could with heavy machinery diverted from forest work and additional resources brought in especially to help with the clean up of six properties in Marahau and a further four along the west bank of the Motueka River.
"In some situations we've had to re-divert waterways back to their historical channels to protect houses, and we're now moving in to clear slash and debris into piles. Where appropriate these will be burned at a later stage."
Mr McMiken said some residents were upset that forestry harvest in the area was continuing, but it was not possible to leave it untended. He said many people's jobs and livelihoods were also at stake.
"We've had to re-commence harvesting so we can keep people in work, but it's not been a business-as-usual situation at all."
A review of a re-planting plan for the area had started. It was possible that under new national standards for plantation forestry that come into effect on the 1 May, some areas around Marahau might no longer be suitable.
Debris from the storm across the area near Marahau. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
"We're re-assessing areas that potentially put properties at risk and the appropriateness of what to re-plant on those areas."
Mr McMiken said it would be unwise to leave the Marahau hills unplanted which he said might lead to a worse environmental outcome. He said regeneration in native trees was possible, but that would still need to be managed.
Mr Hall said a huge loss to the Marahau community was the amount of land on which they could not longer grow food or graze stock, and which was outside the parameters of insurance cover.
EQC said cover for land was limited to that within eight metres of a home and outbuildings.
"We're starting to do a tally up and we're up to about $700,000 to try and sort things out in this community holding alone."
Tasman district mayor Richard Kempthorne said a portion of a $100,000 government rescue package would go towards helping the clean-up at Marahau and Riwaka.
