Waimatā resident Chris Williams stands in front of a section of river which was once an “epic” swimming spot. Photo: Paul Rickard
When Gisborne resident Chris Williams awoke the morning after Cyclone Gabrielle hit the East Coast, he had little idea of the devastation that had unfolded while he was sleeping.
But a short walk to the end of his driveway quickly turned into a nightmare. The Waimatā River had doubled in size and was thundering angrily towards the city.
Cutting into the windy road, which connects Chris and other Waimatā residents with the outside world, the river left piles of silt and logging debris - or slash - in its wake. Whole logs covered Riverside Road and Chris knew he and his partner would be stuck for the foreseeable future.
"The river was double as wide as it's ever been, just stripped barren of any of the native bush that was clinging along there.
"It was apocalyptic. Just fence lines covered underneath the silt. The devastation here was insane."
Having signed up to Starlink (satellite internet) just three weeks earlier for gaming purposes, and living self-sufficiently with solar energy, Chris was one of the few people in Tai Rāwhiti who still had contact with the outside world.
He began sharing videos of the damage on popular streaming platform TikTok and garnered more than 300,000 views in the process, along with thousands of comments from people desperate for more information.
On Wednesday, Chris set off on his bicycle to find out what had happened first-hand. He made the 14km trip into town, which would normally take 15 minutes by car, in just over three hours.
"It was an absolute mission. Up the slash pile, it was so dodgy [with the bike] on my shoulder. I had to know… how's my family? How is everyone?"
Waimata River. Photo: Paul Rickard / Gisborne Herald
In the days that followed, neighbours, forestry workers and the district council banded together to clear the road, which reopened on Monday.
The council dropped off groceries by way of helicopter but Chris wasn't worried about running out of supplies because of the self-sufficient lifestyle he and his partner have adopted.
"We're pretty well-equipped. I could have eaten Bronson the sheep if things got really hairy."
Although Chris has weathered the storm and can now access town if he needs to, the cyclone has left behind a trail of devastation in his patch of paradise.
A section of the river, which was once an "epic" swim spot, is now "stinky sediment".
"It's wrecked our humble little river and I feel really sorry for Waimatā restoration [projec] and the [Waikereru] ecosanctuary putting in all this hard work. It's back to square one, or below square one. It's never been this bad before."
Chris hopes there will be serious repercussions for forestry, and that fines will help cover the damage that permeates the region.
The industry employs one in four people in Tai Rāwhiti, and has been a hot topic in the past month following a January meeting where ministers met with key stakeholders at Gisborne District Council buildings to discuss a way forward.
That meeting resulted in a decision to establish a working group which would guide a review of land use in the region, and on 9 February, Mayor Rehette Stoltz wrote to six government ministers calling on support for an independent inquiry.
For Chris, stricter regulations can't come soon enough.
He believes the far reaches of Riverside Road are just one large-scale weather event from completely washing out, which would leave him and his neighbours marooned.
"It's a shame. This is our forever home. We had no plans to move. It's horrible to watch your space be destroyed by weather and forestry."
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.