Awaroa Beach battered by storm
The idyllic Tasman settlement of Awaroa didn’t escape the wrath of ex-cyclone Fehi when it roared through the region last week.
It left its mark on Abel Tasman National Park, with some baches in Awaroa losing three metres off the front of their properties.
Wilsons Abel Tasman CEO Darryl Wilson owns the Meadowbank Homestead in the settlement.
He said he hadn’t been out to the lodge since the storm, but was told his property was fine, although the retaining wall in front of it received some damage.
The homestead is the only property with a sea wall, which Wilson had built 10 years ago.
On adjacent properties the storm hit the reserve and four metre high bank, part of which was washed away.
‘‘We didn’t actually lose more of the bank in front of us because the wall took the impact,’’ Wilson said.
The bank had eroded before, he said, which is why they were forced to build the sea wall on Tasman District Council reserve land below.
‘‘There have been and there will be conversations about how to reduce erosion of that reserve strip.
‘‘It’s just how much of that four metre high bank do you let erode, it’s a buffer between private land and the sea,’’ he said.
He said the beach had lost about 50 to 100 metres of sand off the end of it during a storm surge in November last year.
During last week’s storm waves overran the beach and washed away kanuka bushes.
‘‘Ten years ago approximately three quarters of what we just bought was washed away.
Wilson said once the private land started to be affected people would have the chance to ‘‘actively start protecting’’ their land.
‘‘But I think it’s probably appropriate to be a wee bit preemptive as we were and protect the public reserve before it goes. You’ll never get it back again.’’
DOC Takaka operations manager Andrew Lamason said the storm had altered the shape of the beach entrance to the estuary and the shape of the spit.
‘‘There is a constant cycle of deposition and erosion of sand within this highly dynamic environment.’’
In January 2016, Cantabrians Duane Major and Adam Gard’ner launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy the beach for all New Zealanders to enjoy.
Gard’ner said the recent changes to the beach shape didn’t deflect from the connection Kiwis forged with the area when they bought the beach.
‘‘I’m not worried, it’s partly to be expected.
‘‘It doesn’t change the importance that [Kiwis] put on that piece of coastline,’’ he said.