Two years in a caravan: Eskdale man fights to remain on his land after Cyclone Gabrielle

For Waikato Gray, Esk Valley is more than just a place to live. It is five generations of history, memories, and deep cultural ties.

When Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke’s Bay in February 2023, floodwaters swallowed Gray’s home in Eskdale. He and his family barely escaped, spending hours stranded on a boat before being rescued.

When the waters receded, the damage was irreversible. His home, once filled with life, was declared uninhabitable.

Despite being offered a buyout by Hastings District Council when his land was red-zoned as Category 3, Gray refused to leave.

Instead, he has chosen to remain on his ancestral whenua, living in a caravan in front of the ruins of his former home.

Eskdale man Waikato Gray is standing firm, refusing to leave his ancestral home. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Two years on, each day he still faces the challenges of a life forever altered by the flood. But no matter how much time passes, Gray vividly remembers the day everything changed.

He woke up at 3am, unaware of the devastation that was about to unfold. His sister, Rewinia Anderson, who had stayed over, was the first to notice something was wrong.

“She woke us up saying we needed to move the cars. I walked out oblivious to what was happening, opened the door, and it was flowing. My car was moving, everything was moving,” Gray told Hawke’s Bay Today.

The floodwaters rose rapidly and a boat that had been parked nearby became their only hope for survival.

“There were five of us. I didn’t expect it to get worse, but it just went higher and higher,” he said.

As the water kept rising, they had to break part of the wall to get everyone on board.

“By the time we got to the corner of the house, the water was up to the roof,” Gray said.

Waikato Gray points to the high-water marks left by Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Rafaella Melo

For hours, they watched helplessly as their neighbours struggled to find safety. Across the road, a woman sat huddled on a roof with two young children, unable to hear them calling out to her.

Rescue finally came when three Māori men arrived in a jetboat, helping to bring trapped residents to safety.

In the days that followed, Gray and his family sought shelter at his daughter Dayna’s house in town. But space was tight, and he found himself returning to his land every day, struggling to accept what had happened.

“We came back two days later. My daughter and my sister just cried. The house was full of mud and debris,” Gray said.

‘We lost everything’

When Gray was informed his home was classified as Category 3 – on land deemed too dangerous by authorities for rebuilding – he was devastated.

“This place has been in my family for five generations. My great-great-grandparents lived here. It’s pretty devastating. I don’t want to go.”

The walls, once full of stories of birthdays, weddings, and an entire family’s life, are gone.

“It’s just full of memories. It’s all about whakapapa. My mum buried our placentas under the tree. It means a lot to me,” Gray said.

Waikato Gray stands by the tree where his family’s placentas are buried.

Instead of accepting the buyout, Gray chose to stay.

It took six weeks to clear the thick layers of silt and debris from the property, a process made possible with the help of volunteers and community groups.

They set up a modest home in a donated caravan. A former customer from his workplace gifted him the vehicle, while another donor provided a car.

“The people who supported me are lovely. Complete strangers just showed up, wanting to help,” he said.

Waikato Gray (right) with volunteers helping to clean up his home after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Life in a caravan has been challenging, but Gray does his best to adapt to his new normal.

“I get up, have my breakfast, clean up, and go to town to babysit my mokopuna [grandchild] for about two hours,” he said.

Cleaning, organising gas for cooking and hot water for showers, and maintaining the land take up much of his routine.

“It’s not easy, but I try to keep things as normal as possible,”

To keep his mind sharp, he trains every night and spends time doing crossword puzzles, as he doesn’t have a TV.

Living in a caravan, Gray finds comfort in daily routines, such as completing crossword puzzles. Photo / Rafaella Melo

His grandson visits on the weekends.

“We walk down to the family’s cemetery on Sunday nights. My parents, my brother, my sisters, they are all down there,” he said.

The house, once filled with family, now shelters only Gray and his dog, Polly.

Since the cyclone, three of his four dogs have died, and the loss of them and his home weighs heavily.

“It was really enjoyable being home with everyone and the dogs. Everything was beautiful. The grapevines, the gardens. It was like a paradise.”

Now, Gray says he is just trying to hold on to what’s left.

Waikato Gray sits with his loyal companion, Polly, in front of what remains of his home after the cyclone. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Despite the hardships, Gray is determined to stay and to rebuild.

“Hopefully, these things will get sorted out. The district council and the regional council need to support us,” he said, referring to others in the community who also refused the buyout.

“I’m not the only one. There are a few of us that just don’t want to go. It’s just the way we are, we just want to stay.”

Gray said he was now working on elevating his old house high enough to ride out floods and hopefully meet council regulations for living in a Category 3 zone.

“I’ll do whatever it takes. I just want to make this place liveable again. Not just for me, but for the next generation,” he said.

At 63, Gray remains hopeful he can restore his land and continue the legacy his ancestors built.

“My challenge is to hopefully live a normal life, fix things up, and keep going,” he says.

“I just want to enjoy my grandchildren and my daughters and get myself ready for another journey. I am looking forward to living life.”

For Gray, the land is more than just a place to live. It’s his past, his present and, despite the challenges, his future.

“Please let me stay.”