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Heading for the hills (Slice of Life DownUnder)
The Dominion Post (New Zealand) ^ | 05 May 2006 | Staff

Posted on 05/04/2006 3:05:14 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter

Heading for the hills

05 May 2006

A neighbour's 5.15am phone call sparked the Kohn family in Gisborne into full-scale emergency evacuation mode, joining hundreds of locals heading for the hills.

Heather Kohn's family live 700 metres from Wainui Beach. Daughter Hannah, 8, heard the call. "Mum went in to wake my brother Jacob and I heard her say `tsunami' and I just froze," she said.

Within 10 minutes the Kohns were in their 4WD packed with water, a first-aid kit and sleeping bags, heading for the elevated safety of nearby Tuahine Pt Hill.

"Nearly everyone in our street went up the hills," Mrs Kohn said. "We could see a lot of congestion of cars going up nearby Makarori Hill which was where a lot of residents of Wainui were going."

With no Civil Defence presence, Gisborne residents relied on doorknocking and phone calls to warn others. Car horns roused sleeping residents while phone calls from overseas woke others.

Gisborne resident Paul Cullen, his wife Kelly – due to give birth in a fortnight – their children Oliver, 3, Milly, 1, and dog Toby were woken by a friend's call at 5.15am.

They headed for a nearby hill but a friend said it was too crowded, so they drove on. The next big hill, 15 minutes away, had no parking.

Mr Cullen said he never saw a police officer, firefighter or any other official. "It's a wake-up call for the New Zealand Government and for us about what you have to do for yourself to get out and be safe."


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: civildefense; disaster; newzealand; tsunami
This could be *you* one day...

God Defend New Zealand.

1 posted on 05/04/2006 3:05:15 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Yeah, but was there a tsunami??


2 posted on 05/04/2006 3:28:14 PM PDT by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies get to vote!!!!!)
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To: raybbr

> Yeah, but was there a tsunami??

I understand that there was a measurable rise in the sea at Gisborne.

Of course, whether there was a Tsunami in reality ready to wipe us all off the map For Keeps is actually quite beside the point: we were hopelessly unready and unprepared for such an event. But we should be.


3 posted on 05/04/2006 3:34:26 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (I am the Chieftain of my Clan. I bow to nobody. Get out of my way.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Having just left New Zealand, I'd suggest we let NZ defend itself. While a nice place, they are to the left of the Canadians, with goofy nanny-state sensibilities and rampant multi-culti symptoms.

Their version of Time/Newsweek had a cover story on the debate over the NZ defense forces that was amazing. They have fewer than 8000 people in the defense forces, and their Air Force has no strike capability. They are letting the Aussies watch their back, while frequently trashing PM Howard, not to mention the US. The media in NZ is so left wing that I think even Dan Rather would admit it.

The North Island seemed unimpressive, with beaches that compare to Australia, with bigger and more dangerous surf. No stingers though, or crocs. The South Island is quite beautiful, and there remain some hardy graziers in the Otago. Milford and Doubtful Sounds are nice, and we lucked into 3 rare clear days to visit them. However, I'd say that the Inside Passage is much more majestic, and equally as unspoilt.

Economically, the currency was continuing to fall during our visit. These folks have almost no manufacturing, few raw materials (and any attempt to mine is opposed by low-living-standard lefties), and completely reliant on tourism. However, most destinations are remote and reached only via 2 lane roads with random passing lanes.

All in all, worth a side trip during a long respite in Asia, but not all it's cracked up to be.


4 posted on 05/04/2006 4:25:05 PM PDT by usafsk ((Know what you're talking about before you dance the QWERTY waltz))
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To: DieHard the Hunter
This could be *you* one day...

True. Perhaps not a tsumani, but some other natural disaster. We live on the water and a few years ago I told Mr. M and a few neighbors one day that we'd better get the boats and stuff up onto dry land and be prepared to head to the hills. It had been raining a lot earlier in the week but no one believed me. That evening, the water rose. And rose, and rose, and rose. The next county over had the sheriff and fire department out with loud speaks warning everyone, but not our LE. Nope, not even after the airport flooded. I called our sheriff's department and they hadn't a clue anything was going on and thought I was lying about the airport. We called neighbors and Mr. M helped get their boats tied up. I called mother who lived down the street and told her the plan and loaded the vehicles with photo albums, clothes, and snacks for us and the pets. Of course I refused to leave until I'd finished with the pickle canning, lol. I told Mr. M when the water got to a certain point, we'd have to leave or the road would be out. At 1 AM, I called mother and we all headed out - sick little one and pets. When we got back home, we found someone's kitchen cabinets on the roof of our boathouse and many homes were washed away. Not once did the local LE put out a warning.

5 posted on 05/04/2006 4:40:28 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)
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To: usafsk

> All in all, worth a side trip during a long respite in Asia, but not all it's cracked up to be.

Sorry you didn't enjoy your visit. Most people find NZ a welcome and hospitable place. One of the few countries on this planet that actually likes and welcomes Americans.

There *is* a grain or two of truth in some of what you say, and that's sad.

> Milford and Doubtful Sounds are nice, and we lucked into 3 rare clear days to visit them.

We've had record-setting good weather in NZ this year: perhaps those dark clouds you experienced were following you around for some reason?

> All in all, worth a side trip during a long respite in Asia, but not all it's cracked up to be.

Maybe next time, stay home and we'll all be happier... 8-)


6 posted on 05/04/2006 5:01:30 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (I am the Chieftain of my Clan. I bow to nobody. Get out of my way.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

You have to realize, first, that people in the States rave about New Zealand in general, mostly focusing on the South Island. They fly into Chrinstchurch, zip to Queenstown, then go to Milford, then leave.

While NZ'ers may want Americans to visit and are welcoming, the media is dogmatically anti-American, anti-Bush, anti-Defense. Sitting alone at the bottom of the world, with 700 million Indonesians and 1B+ Chinese in a good position to have their way with you makes the country vulnerable. NZ's gov't, Helen Clark and her FM, routinely ridicule US foreign policy. NZ also has decided to continue funding the Hamas-led Palestinian gov't.

As for staying home, I love to travel. The politics of a country are hardly considered in my selections, only in terms of stability. NZ is stable, clean, and scenic. I think it's overrated, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself and the NZers I met. I go to Paris, where I've never been mistreated by the French. Now Paris, that's a city.


7 posted on 05/05/2006 11:01:58 PM PDT by usafsk ((Know what you're talking about before you dance the QWERTY waltz))
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To: usafsk

> While NZ'ers may want Americans to visit and are welcoming, the media is dogmatically anti-American, anti-Bush, anti-Defense. Sitting alone at the bottom of the world, with 700 million Indonesians and 1B+ Chinese in a good position to have their way with you makes the country vulnerable. NZ's gov't, Helen Clark and her FM, routinely ridicule US foreign policy. NZ also has decided to continue funding the Hamas-led Palestinian gov't.

We've got a left-wing MSM and an idiotic government. Most of us agree with neither, but our MMP political system has somehow granted Helen yet another term in office. Most of us cannot wait to be rid of her. For bizarre reasons we are not afraid of the Indonesians: maybe that's because most of us are rugby-playing galloots twice their size...

Please do not judge us by the scolding schoolmarms that currently run the Beehive. Kiwis are, for the most part, alot more savvy than that.

> They fly into Chrinstchurch, zip to Queenstown, then go to Milford, then leave.

If that is all you have seen of our Country, you will have seen a few pretty bits, but will have missed out on the best parts.

My suggestion? I do not think you have experienced enough to be able to conclude whether NZ is over-rated or not.

Park the attitude at the airport (because it is unhelpful), come back for a good long stay and then draw your conclusions. I suggest late January/February/early March for the best weather. You've seen parts of South Island, so give that a miss this time.

Instead, do Rotorua, Taupo, Whangarei, Bay of Islands, and Waitakere City -- most especially Piha Beach and Muriwai. If you have time, see if you can get as far North as Cape Reinga. Wellington is also alot of fun. Spend a few weeks, not just a short whistle-stop. And try to get in some of the Maori culture, which is fascinating. Rotorua and Bay of Islands is particularly good for that.

If *that* doesn't please you and impress you, well -- nothing will this side of Heaven.

Cheers
"DieHard"


8 posted on 05/06/2006 3:19:12 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (I am the Chieftain of my Clan. I bow to nobody. Get out of my way.)
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