Ruined orchard, damaged winery – Esk Valley copes with daunting job cleaning up

By Jemima Huston

Some Esk Valley locals are feeling angry and abandoned in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Others are just getting on with the job of cleaning up and supporting their community.

Pheasant Farm, an apple orchard in Eskdale, is filled with silt, fruit is strewn everywhere and machinery is upended and waterlogged.

It’s owned by Malcolm Davie and his family who live on the property.

They’ve decided to stay even though they can only come and go on foot because mud is blocking their driveway.

Ruined apple crop at Pheasant Farm.
Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston

Davie said the limited help they’ve received from council and government is not good enough.

“We need more diggers, more resources, more money, and more people.

“To date we’ve had very little support from central government. We’ve not seen one person from Hastings District Council.

“So I say to officialdom, please get out here, have a look and give us some help”.

However, Davie acknowledged the local community and Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence had been very supportive.

Family and friends mucking in at Pheasant Farm.
Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston

“It’s noteworthy that we have people who have lost their homes and have nothing but a pair of shorts and their own cellphone, they’re out here helping”.

Further into the valley Graeme Morgan’s home escaped floodwaters and is undamaged.

Even so, he and his wife have made the decision to leave Eskdale for good.

“Luckily we’re a couple of metres higher than the flood zone. We were about a metre from the water coming through to our house, and we’re all safe and sound”.

Morgan said the uncertainty about when power and sewerage will be restored meant they could not continue to live there.

“We can’t live with no power, and the dust is horrendous.

“The whole situation is just not suitable. It’s liveable but not suitable”.

Damaged vehicles, broken powerlines and piles of silt line State Highway 5.
Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston

Down the road at the Linden Estate winery staff said they were devastated but not defeated.

The estate was hit hard by the flood with silt and water ripping through the vineyards, cellars and winery.

Business manager Allan den Boer said they have had a lot of help cleaning up from their team and volunteers.

“We’re making progress. It’s slow but we’re making progress.

“The wine that we have remaining has been salvaged and we’re working through that. We’ve started cleaning out the big barrel hall but we haven’t even looked at the winery yet, the implement shed and the vineyards.

“But at least we’ve started, which is a good feeling”.

Wine bottles found in the cellar at Linden Estate after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through.
Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston

Den Boer said knowing where to start the clean up has been difficult with such an enormous mess.

“From a position of being absolutely daunted and didn’t know where to start, had no idea, to a position now where we’re actually making a little tiny dent in it”.

The winery has set up a community hub at its restaurant Valley D’Vine offering food, water, first aid, toiletries, welfare forms and a chance for people to connect.

Linden Estate business manager Allan den Boer and cellar door manager Olivia Walding-Karaitiana.
Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston

Allan den Boer said restaurant owner Greg Miller came up with the idea.

“The restaurant here wasn’t touched, which is lucky, because it’s a double storey building.

“There’s seats, there’s tables, people can get here… There’s fridges where we can keep food.

“[The restaurant] is the logical place for a community hub. I think it’s fabulous”.

Eskdale Community Hub at Linden Estate
Photo: RNZ / Jemima Huston

Local people looking for support can visit the community hub in Eskdale at 347 State Highway 5.

Advice from the National Emergency Management Agency

• Heavy rain could cause further flooding, landslides, and damage to roads in regions impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.
• Put safety first. Act quickly if you see rising water do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and stay away from floodwater.
• Have grab bags ready with: medications, snacks, water, torches, pet food, and baby formula (if needed) in case you need to evacuate.
• Plan where you will go if you have to evacuate
• Ensure that you have enough food, water, and other essential supplies to last for several days.
• Stay up to date with the latest information from MetService and your local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group
• Wear protective clothing when cleaning flood water and mud including: mask, goggles, gloves, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and gumboots or work shoes.