Four Square Mahora owner-operator Scott Iskowicz alongside partner Stephanie Tidey with Ollie. The couple have just completed renovation of their store after Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc with their plans at the start of 2023.
Four Square Mahora owner-operator Scott Iskowicz alongside partner Stephanie Tidey with Ollie. The couple have just completed renovation of their store after Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc with their plans at the start of 2023.
Anyone would believe Four Square Mahora co-owner/operator Stephanie Tidey when she says the last 18 months had been “a bit hectic”.
If a move from Australia to New Zealand to helm the store wasn’t enough, she and her 8-month-old son Ollie were also rescued off the roof of their Puketapu rental as Cyclone Gabrielle floodwaters rose just three months later.
“We waited for a terrifying six hours until we were both helicoptered off the roof by a local helicopter company while the rain continued to come down,” Tidey recalled.
“Our neighbours stood in the paddock all morning in their high vis trying to help us. They were trying to wave someone down or do something.”
Her partner, Scott Iskowicz, faced another monumental challenge back at the store he’d gone to check.
“While the store hadn’t flooded, the loss of power meant a large amount of food had to be disposed of. Scott then got stuck in Mahora with flooding cutting off the roads, and he couldn’t get back to us.”
Thanks to the kindness of strangers and the help of the New Zealand Army, the pair were eventually reunited.
“We were still fairly new to the region but luckily had just made some new friends who offered to put us up for a few days,” Tidey said.
“Ollie doesn’t remember much, but he loves helicopters now.”
Steph Tidey and her son were some of the many evacuated from the rooftops of their Puketapu homes. Photo / Paul Taylor
There was also help from other nearby Foodstuffs stores, who “swooped in a saved the day”, according to Iskowicz.
“We were able to use their support to get hold of some skip bins to dispose of our damaged stock,” he said.
Now, another big milestone has occurred for Tidey and her partner as they celebrate the long-awaited renovation of their store - one of the first in Hawke’s Bay to showcase the refreshed Four Square brand that’s being rolled out across the country.
“We’re really happy with how it’s turned out. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she said.
The pair said they got into the business to help give back to the community, and they were blown away by how much the community, in turn, has given back to them.
“I don’t think we’ve ever experienced such supportive customers, who are really pleased that there’s been investment into the community,” Tidey said.
“We also had several messages from our regular customers who also offered their homes to us, even though so many of them were having their own flooding issues; it just shows how wonderful the locals are here.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
