Under the Weather

• Taking Flight - Part One

  A narrow escape. A chance meeting. Water rises around the chopper as Cam and Geoff take flight.⚠️ Some content may be distressing. Listener discretion is advised.The Taylor family home is perched 12 meters above the Tutaekuri River. But by 5.30am on February 14th 2023, the river is on their doorstep and rising. There's no time for anything but escape. They're lucky to get out with their lives and their dogs. Once they're safe, Cam's thoughts turn to his RSE workers. They also live on the river. He has a chopper, but can't reach his usual pilot. In a stroke of incredible luck, another is on the scene.For Cam and Tara Taylor, Valentine's Day 2023 started with a rude awakening and a narrow escape. Staying home isn't an option, but leaving is also a huge risk. They plough through deep water, which is coursing over the local roads like rapids. They can only watch as other vehicles are swept away. When they reach the safety of their family business, Cam has one thought. Rescuing his orchard workers from the riverbanks. By air is the only way, and the skids of the chopper are almost submerged as they take flight. Tara remains on the ground and has to outrun the water for a second time that day. This is just the beginning of their day, and of an incredible story about to unfold.Cam and pilot Geoff Keighley are airborne. The extent of flooding across the region is severe and widespread. Like nothing they could have ever imagined. They rescue Cam's RSE workers, along with others, from nearby orchards. Maybe a hundred in total. They quickly lose count. The pace is relentless, and they take the door off the chopper to allow rapid loading and unloading. They later describe these rescues as the 'easy' ones. Once the RSE teams are safe, they begin to find people on their roofs. And later, in their roofs. Throughout the day, they continue to discover precarious situations where lives hang in the balance. Cam himself is in a difficult spot as part one of Taking Flight concludes. This incredible story of escape, survival and daring rescues is TBC in Taking Flight part two.If you enjoyed listening to TAKING FLIGHT PART ONE, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more:https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-storieshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcastChapters00:00 Intro02:10 Geoff05:30 Cam & Tara06:50 Taylor Corp07:45 Before the cyclone09:30 Escape 15:00 SOS Geoff18:00 Right place, right time19:20 Pre-flight24:20 Airborne25:00 Another narrow escape30:20 The 'easy' rescues33:40 Shit gets real40:15 Traps for young players43:40 Cam hits the roofFollow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cyclonegabriellestories.nzFollow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cyclonegabriellestories.nz/All transcripts for Under the Weather are AI-generated.

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• From Heartache to Healing

  After a deluge of impossible choices, Al is all out of options. ⚠️ This episode covers some distressing themes, including suicide and the loss of Al's dogs. Listener discretion is advised.After a stormy night, all seems well as day dawns on February 14th 2023. They've dodged a bullet, but the gun is loaded. Before long, Pakowhai is under siege as the rivers close in on the small, rural community. There's no high ground and nowhere to go. Surrounded by rising water, Al's focus is on who needs help - people and animals alike. Not all can be saved. When he takes refuge on a shipping container, Al doesn't think he will be either. Rescue comes, but the reprieve of survival is short. The long battle that follows is raw and unforgiving as he stares down the barrel of grief and loss. Join Al on this journey from heartache to healing.Originally from Shropshire in the UK, Al had immigrated nearly 30 years previously with his Kiwi partner, Ali. A dairy farmer already, he was a perfect fit for his new life in rural New Zealand. As their boys grew, so did the farms, and Al decided it was time for a change. A love of dogs and a natural affinity with our canine companions steered Al in new directions. Nearly 20 years and thousands of wagging tails later, he is widely known as 'The Dogman'. But in early 2023, a catastrophic event tore through their lives. A home, a business, a way of life, were suddenly gone. In their place, trauma, grief and uncertainty. There were no new directions. No blueprint or map. Just a silt-covered road to nowhere.Al’s first steps along this road were heavy. Despair set like concrete, and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Overwhelmed and unmoored, he needed an anchor to hold him steady—an anchor to halt the drift into desperation and darkness. This is a story of Al finding his anchors. In some cases, the anchors find him. As he turns the ship around, his journey is transformed into one of resilience and redemption. If you enjoyed listening to FROM HEARTACHE TO HEALING, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more:https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-storieshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcastChapters00:00 Intro01:40 Meet Al04:50 The good life06:00 Everything changes08:30 Refuge10:10 Oblivious11:00 A few deep breaths12:50 Shine the torch on your feet14:15 A dark place16:50 The community rallies20:10 Pounamu22:30 No respite24:40 Gratitude28:00 What NOT to say...30:30 Looters31:30 Divide & Conquer - Insurance34:30 Divide & Conquer - Councils37:40 A kick in the guts40:20 Legacies 42:15 A tribute43:30 An unexpected new chapter44:30 Rock bottom45:25 The light at the end of the tunnel47:20 Arthur49:10 A better person51:20 Dinner club52:30 Sound advice55:45 Time to regroup57:15 ConclusionFollow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cyclonegabriellestories.nzTranscripts for Under the Weather are AI-generated.

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• Alchemy - Part Two

  Trapped amidst the carnage, the Cave family waits as a desperate search begins.⚠️ Some listeners may be distressed by this content.When all hope of rescue is gone, they are forced to spend the night in their flooded home. They lie awake as it slowly disintegrates around them. Their youngest daughter, Alex, is enduring her own ordeal. Undeterred by false reassurance, she embarks on a relentless search for her missing family. It is thanks to Alex that Suzanna, Neal and Sam are eventually found. Join them as they reflect on rescue, reunion and recovery.Part One ended with deathly silence and an unlikely visitor. It is only one of several enigmatic signs dotted throughout their story.  As the air around them comes to life with the steady chop of helicopter blades, it appears that rescue is imminent. But no one can see them. The water recedes, exposing the wreckage beneath and exposing Neal and Sam to a 15-meter descent with nothing to cushion the fall.Once back on the ground, they find their beautiful home is unrecognisable. The remaining water, silt and overturned furniture make it almost impossible to navigate. Particularly with their Labrador Ted, who also needs to traverse the wreckage. Rescue doesn’t come and neither does sleep during a long night of frightening noises. Creaking. Dripping water. Smashing glass. The crashing of ceilings collapsing beneath them.The day that follows begins with false hope and a perilous trek through the hazardous debris of what was once their home. The 5 of them and Ted spend a long day outside waiting for a helicopter that never returns. Fortunately, thanks to Alex, help does eventually arrive.Neal, Suzanna and Sam recount their dramatic rescue and the reunion that follows. Their story then becomes one of recovery and new directions. They share some interesting new perspectives, and the conversation touches on survivor's guilt, prophetic dreams, wine and much more. Don't miss the uplifting conclusion to their story as they find triumph amidst the tragedy of Cyclone Gabrielle.If you enjoyed listening to ALCHEMY PART TWO, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more:https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-storieshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcastChapters00:00 Recap00:35 A long way down06:50 No time to die08:30 A sleepless night10:50 Day 212:45 A long wait15:40 The 11th hour.19:10 Airborne20:00 Alex24:50 Ground Zero27:10 Where do you start?31:10 The end of a dream33:50 Alchemy36:40 The Puketapu Bridge37:40 New Perspectives39:10 Global disasters and survivors guilt41:10 ConclusionFollow Cyclone Gabrielle Stories on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cyclonegabriellestoriesprojectAll transcripts for UNDER THE WEATHER are AI generated.

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• Alchemy - Part One

  A bridge falls. A river rises. The Cave family wake up to a home under siege.⚠️ Some listeners may be distressed by this content.In the early hours of February 14th 2023, a family sleeps. None of them knows what’s coming, but Sam has a haunting premonition. Only a few hours later, they wake up surrounded by flooding. Those who’ve slept downstairs are trapped; hostages to the river. As Neal fights to free them, Suzanna hears the front door splintering under the pressure of the rising water. They need to move fast.This is a story of paradise lost. A Tuscan villa. A lush vineyard, almost ready to yield its grapes. A harvest that never happens. The Cave family watch in shocked disbelief as a way of life is swallowed whole. The water silently follows them as they retreat upstairs. When it begins lapping over the balcony, they must weigh up their options. They eye up the hills in the distance, but the water there is torrential. Swimming is quickly ruled out. Not knowing when the water will stop, Neal and Sam undertake huge risks to get onto the roof. Once there, they survey a scene of endless flooding. It’s so extensive that a terrible thought immediately strikes them - the whole of Hawke’s Bay is gone.Fortunately, a brief exchange with Alex tells them otherwise. But this is just the beginning of a 2-day ordeal for all of them. Near the end of this episode, Neal and Sam spot an enormous shipping container heading directly for the house as Suzanna prepares their guests to swim for their lives.If you enjoyed listening to ALCHEMY PART ONE, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more.https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-storieshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcastChapters00:00  Intro01:40  Suzanna, Neal and Sam03:55  A Tuscan villa05:25   Before the cyclone10:10  A premonition12:45  The cold light of day17:30  Trapped21:30  Retreat24:30  Spiderman26:20  A leap of faith28:20  The roof30:40  Alex33:15  The tide turns35:00 A precarious perch36:50  A near miss40:00 Deathly silence41:00 To be continued….Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cyclonegabriellestoriesprojectAll transcripts for UNDER THE WEATHER are AI-generated. 

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• Sudley Farm

  Under the cover of night, the river swells. All hopes of escape from Sudley Farm are swallowed whole.⚠️ This episode follows a harrowing ordeal in Dartmoor and deals with loss of life. Listener discretion advised.It’s 1988 and Cyclone Bola leaves its mark on the collective memory of Hawke’s Bay and NZ. Sally and David Prins had already been farming in Dartmoor for about 15 years and remember the construction of the stop bank that followed. Completed in 1992, it was designed to withstand a1-in-100-year event. But 30 years later, it’s no match for Cyclone Gabrielle. As the rain falls, the homes dotted around Sudley Farm are on a deadly collision course with the Tutaekuri River. This is the story of the desperate ordeal that follows.In this episode, Kristin takes listeners into the heart of Dartmoor Valley, where 3 families recount their horrific experiences during Cyclone Gabrielle. We hear from Sally Prins, with her neighbours Lynn McKenna (also Sally and David’s ex-daughter-in-law) and Meg Becker. They recount their terrifying escape from rapidly rising flood-waters in the dark pre-dawn of Feb 14th 2023. As with so many others caught in the chaos that day, the only way was up. Listen to their story as they navigate the challenges of catastrophic flooding – with lives on the line and no outside help until after the worst had passed. Fearing the worst but clinging to threads of hope, most of the residents of Sudley Farm are eventually plucked from their roofs by helicopter.  Their narrative also highlights the invaluable support from the local community in the absence of anything meaningful from the ‘authorities’. They revisit the importance of emergency preparedness and also offer some sound advice. It’s not only an incredible story of survival, but of courage and resilience as they endure what followed. They reflect on a lucky escape with gratitude and new perspectives.If you enjoyed listening to SUDLEY FARM, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more.https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-storieshttps://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcastChapters00:00  Introduction 01:43  Meet Sally, Lynn and Meg.02:52  The Calm before the storm04:50  Waking to water.06:10 Moving to higher ground 09:45 A 111 call.12:36 Naomi leads the way14:00 The water keeps coming16:55  An exit strategy22:30 On the roof.31:15 Rescue33:10 Refuge and reunion35:40 The outside world 37:45 Disbelief39:10 Lessons learned?42:10 One foot in front of the other49:05 Another reunion51:00 Mary52:18 Lost and found54:00 Back on the farm…almost55:25 Good advice57:00 Laughter is the best medicine.58:00 The best of friends01:01:13  Conclusion and dedication ⚠️Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cyclonegabriellestoriesprojectNote Since recording this episode it has been brought to my attention that there was no pre-existing stopbank along this stretch of the Tutaekuri River. So the stop bank built in the early 1990s was 'from scratch', not an upgrade of an existing structure.All transcripts for UNDER THE WEATHER are AI generated.

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