Matahi Brightwell loses sculptures and artworks when Waimata River overflows into his property

'I can hardly speak' about the loss of taonga, says Matahi Brightwell. Photo / Supplied

RENOWNED artist and waka ama tohunga (expert) Matahi Brightwell was lost for words when he saw the damage to his whare after Cyclone Gabrielle hit on Monday night.

His house on Marian Drive in Kaiti is on the banks of the Waimata River. That night the river rose and flooded through his property, covering his artworks and land in mud.

One six-person waka is under the mud and other single-person canoes are littered across his property.

Brightwell said he had evacuated to the Ilminster Intermediate School Civil Defence centre by 10pm on Monday night after an emergency text alert.

“It’s wiped my house out. My studio and all my sculptures are covered in mud,” he said.

“Luckily I tied them down to the trees so they don’t float away. So that’s a good thing.”

Silt has gone through every room in the house.

He has no clothes, only what is on his back.

Brightwell was collecting his archives of his mahi, all of it drenched with water. He is hoping to dry them out.

“We don’t know what to do,” he said.

“I am worried about my artwork [and] I can’t do anything about it.

“I can hardly speak.

“We have insurance but we can’t communicate with the insurance company.”

He says what is wonderful, though, is that all his neighbours and friends have come to help. “It shows the power of community.

“We are virtually homeless and clothes-less. But when we came back yesterday, one neighbour has offered his whare to us. So we are planning to move there and can take as long as it needs.”

He went down to Anzac Park yesterday morning to see the damage to the waka ama belonging to his club, Mareikura.

“But how do I start again?” he said, visibly emotional.

“Thirty-seven years down there for the community. I will start again for the community, I will start again for Gisborne.

“I don’t blame the weather, I don’t blame anyone. It’s a natural occurrence and we have to move on.

“But I would like to repeat that if we had our clubrooms on time, instead of constant delays, we could’ve saved our club.”

He is not the worst off, he says.

“We have no idea about our Coast whānau. We are waiting to hear that everyone is okay.”

He hasn’t been able to communicate with direct family.

He asks anyone in the community who has a shovel or a spare hose to please go and help him. He thanked the Salvation Army for food packages.

Other Marian Drive residents are dealing with flood damage.

Local pharmacist Grant Bramwell and his wife, Sharon Bramwell, live next door to the Brightwells. This is the worst flooding they have ever seen.

Grant Bramwell said they had dealt with three other events that caused flooding on their property, but nothing like this. Mud was up to their knees.

Their backyard is covered in mud, with their tennis court completely submerged.