Dutch Tourists Saved as Marae Opens Doors After NZ Floods

Sjaak van Unnik and his wife Hessel Mulder woke to a terrifying roar at their East Cape holiday park last Wednesday night. By morning, they understood what they'd heard: landslides and floodwaters tearing through Te Araroa Holiday Park, leaving destruction in their wake.

"If it had reached the camp where we were, we would have been washed away," van Unnik told reporters from the marae where he and his wife now shelter. Their rental car sat half underwater as rescuers evacuated them with only the clothes on their backs.

Volunteer firefighter Byron Glover was holidaying at the same park with his family when he heard the roar. He waited through the night, keeping his children calm, before safely evacuating at first light.

Minutes later, rescuers airlifted another family of seven who'd spent the night on their roof to avoid being swept away. The holiday park that had hosted these families was completely destroyed.

Sunny's Take

What happened next transforms this survival story into something beautiful. The Hinerupe Marae opened its doors to between 30 and 40 displaced people, treating strangers like whanau.

"I joked about gaining aunties and uncles, but we are really being treated as one of them," van Unnik said. The Dutch couple, who came to New Zealand seeking adventure, found something more valuable than any tourist experience: genuine community care during their darkest moment.

Glover and his family share the marae space with locals who lost homes and other visitors caught in the disaster. Together they wait for evacuation, but they're not waiting alone.

Tairawhiti Civil Defence confirmed that community-led support is providing shelter and care for those affected. Two psychosocial workers arrived Monday to help families process trauma and navigate practical concerns like insurance and money.

The region still faces challenges, including damaged fiber optic cables affecting communication across the East Cape. Clear weather is finally allowing cleanup crews and recovery teams to reach affected areas.

Van Unnik described returning to retrieve his wife's medication under police escort as witnessing a "war zone" of stones, debris, and a river completely clogged with wood and rocks. Yet his strongest memory isn't the destruction but the warmth of his unexpected family at the marae, proving that even nature's fury can't wash away human kindness.