The Week That Was at Coal Mine Cottage: Floods, Farming and Fabulous Coromandel

Picture this...the second tropical cyclone is bearing down on the north of New Zealand, Pip is driving south from Whangarei Heads to pick me up through escalating rain. At the top of a rather steep hill the car's warning lights start flashing messages alerting him that all was not well with the trusty steed. The windscreen wipers failed then the Brake Failure message followed. With no stopping power under the pedal Pip blindly careered to a stop in a lucky lay-by as the hill flattened out. Many expletives later, the car electrics dead, windows open to the torrential rain, soaked to the skin, Pip managed to call a tow truck whilst I sped northwards in Moosie the Mitsy to collect him from the Warkworth tow garage.

Our intended destination that day was Whangapoua, just two and a bit hours south east of Auckland on the Coromandel Peninsula. By the time we finally left Auckland we were well behind schedule and the Cyclone was increasing in strength. We knew we had to get along the Coromandel coast road and over the ranges that day as flooding and slips would close the road after the storm. Pushing on we embarked on one of the most unpleasant drives in memory (only equaled by a midnight drive to New York Feb 7th 2007 through a terrible snow storm for a job interview). Creeping around precipitous corners, past little slips, over the mist shrouded Coro hill we finally drove smack bang into a raging stream flooded road leading to Vicky s house at Whangapoua. Water over a foot deep crept inside the car, the undercarriage graunched on the gouged out road, all the while the engine screamed and clunked until we finally felt our wheels hit the tarmac of her driveway and higher ground. Bloody Hell!

Pip and Steve off to survey the damage; Flood waters receded to show gouged out road;Pip and Ju;The flooded road.

We arrived at the house to a lovely scent of fragrant woodsmoke in the air. Sadly the smoke was from a dining tabletop fire. Vic's lovely centre-piece and welcoming candles had caught alight and nearly burnt the place down just minutes before our arrival. The power went out soon after plunging the village below us into darkness, within a heartbeat, the house on the hill was back in business as a powerful generator provided us with power for the next 16 hours.Those below were not so lucky.

The Great Room; Flowers to welcome us, interior shots of house; fun around the campfire; breakfast before farming expedition;Peacock feathers gathered from the flocks of birds on surrounding paddocks; Hats for everyone; the dining table before the fire!

The following day we were horrified to see the damage done by flooded streams on the flats below the house. We kitted up in farm appropriate gear, gummies, gloves and rakes, and headed out to clear fences for the local farmer.


Vicky;Julie;Vicky, Pip, Suzie, Nick; Matt; Thurlow; Nick; getting stuck in down on the farm!

Lovely homebaked bread and home grown salad veggies washed down with lots of gorgeous sav blanc, pinot gris and chardonnay made it all worth while.

Homegrown lunch; Planting round the house; Relaxing in the outdoor courtyards.

When the sun came out Steve popped us in his chopper and whisked us over the Coro hills to Whitianga (Fity-ang-a)to refuel his little gray bird, then took us for a scenic tour over Cathedral Cove and out to the Mercury Islands.