Mount Maunganui Community Unites After Landslide Tragedy

When Carol Wilson and Lani Doidge arrived at a makeshift shrine near Mount Maunganui on Sunday, they were complete strangers. Minutes later, they were crying on each other's shoulders.

"We don't even know each other, but I feel like everyone could use a hug," Doidge said as others joined the spontaneous embraces. Hundreds of Mount Maunganui locals have been visiting the memorial since Thursday, when a landslide swept through part of the Mount campground, taking six lives.

The community has transformed a simple piece of plywood into a canvas of love and grief. Messages like "All my love, my heart breaks" and "Awhi [embrace] from all of the Mount" cover the makeshift memorial alongside growing piles of flowers.

Both Wilson and Doidge, longtime Mount locals, struggled to speak through their tears. "It's just such a tragedy, our hearts go out to all of the families," Wilson said.

"You never think something like this could happen so close to you," Doidge added, her voice breaking. "I'm just here to pay my respects."

Thomas Gardiner, a volunteer with the Mauao Trust, was at the base of the mountain when disaster struck Thursday morning. "I just heard like firecrackers, it must have been all the roots of the trees breaking," he recalled.

He watched the trees move with the earth toward the pools. "My mind just went straight to the screaming," he said, the memory still fresh.

Gardiner spent those first moments keeping well-meaning locals from entering the dangerous area. "There were so many people trying to get in there to help, but other parts around it were going to slip away," he explained.

On Sunday, he and his wife Keren came straight from church to the memorial. Together, they said a quiet prayer for those who died.

Why This Inspires

In the face of heartbreak, Mount Maunganui residents are doing what communities do best: showing up for each other. Strangers are becoming friends through shared grief, transforming a tragedy into a powerful display of collective care.

The hugs, flowers, and handwritten messages aren't bringing anyone back, but they're reminding grieving families that an entire community stands with them. Sometimes the most meaningful response to loss is simply being present together.