The following travel advice is from the Australian Government Smartraveller.
Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to cause a widespread and significant weather event from Sunday 12 February 2023 starting in the north and spreading to other parts of northern and central New Zealand on subsequent days. A state of emergency remains in place for Auckland and the Thames-Coromandel district due to severe weather causing flooding, landslides, and road closures. Check the National Emergency Management Agency website for up-to-date information and follow the advice of local authorities. Travellers may experience domestic and international flight delays or cancellations at Auckland Airport from Sunday, 12 February 2023. Airlines are encouraging travellers to reconsider non-essential travel. Contact your airline or tour operator for the latest flight information and the New Zealand Transport Agency for road traffic updates.
Hope @Colin and @Smiley and any of our other THS travellers in NZ are ok.
@Crookie thank you for posting and our thoughts are with @Colin & @Smiley and all of our community their family, friends and loved ones in the area. Stay safe.
Thanks @Crookie for your concern. I’m in the South Island so shouldn’t be affected. @Colin & Karyo are in Napier in the North island. I had a FaceTime chat with them yesterday & they’re not too worried. Karyo takes a keen interest in the weather & thinks they’ll be fine. Perhaps @Colin can update you.
I have several friends made in 2019 through housesitting and travelling in the north island who I’m thinking about & keeping in touch with
@Crookie@Angela_L - Thanks for thinking about us. We are on the North Island but In Napier which is on the east coast halfway (ish)down the North Island. The very North is currently getting hit the worst. Unfortunately, the cyclone is really slow-moving which is prolonging the event.
For us, overnight we had some heavy rain and the wind has really picked up today. We are expecting the worst weather in our area this evening, running into tomorrow - then all good by Wednesday.
We are due to leave New Zealand on Thursday, with a house sit booked in Australia due to start on Saturday so fingers crossed we don’t get caught up in any flight delays!
We are in Auckland , on a housesit, took all the indoor furniture in and made sure all was secure. It hasn’t been too bad for us - we are in a good protected location. But the devastation around the country is horrific
An update is that @colin & Karyo have no power currently. They had to go to Pak ‘n Save to use their wifi hotspot, the only place in Napier with wifi apparently. No idea when the power will be back on.
Glad you are in a protected location @DKNZ. Just hope @Colin and Karyo are okay. Thanks @Smiley for the latest update on them. The devastation is unbelievable.
Thank you for the update @Smiley. We are now in cyclone season for the next couple of months in Australia, NZ and the South Pacific. It gets wild & woolly. Auckland airport is impacted now and there are flight delays, advising passengers to check with their airlines. Hope @Colin is ok & makes it out on Thursday for Australia. Stay safe everyone.
@colin has asked me to give you an update as he got wifi at Napier Airport:
They went to the airport in Napier this morning to collect their hos to find they’d arrived in Auckland but are on a waiting list for domestic flight to Napier. Colin & Karyo are due to fly from Napier to Auckland at 1130 tomorrow (16/2) and then to Melbourne at 1535. They’ve asked Air NZ at Napier Airport re situation & they seem quite optimistic their flights will leave but no promises.
Thank you @Smiley we really appreciate the update and so glad to hear that @Colin is optimistic that they will make their planned flight. If you are speaking to him send them both our very best wishes.
