{"id":16503,"date":"2026-01-30T05:43:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=16503"},"modified":"2026-01-30T05:43:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:43:28","slug":"a-very-emotional-week-hundreds-gather-to-remember-mt-maunganui-landslide-victims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=16503","title":{"rendered":"‘A very emotional week’: Hundreds gather to remember Mt Maunganui landslide victims"},"content":{"rendered":"

Angela Amohanga walked into\u00a0the vigil ground<\/a>\u00a0with six sombre black balloons in tow.<\/p>\n

Each of them carried\u00a0the name of a victim of Mount Maunganui’s deadly landslide<\/a>\u00a0a week earlier.<\/p>\n

“I just wanted to do a tribute for an occasion that none of us liked, I think it’s touched many people,” she said.<\/p>\n

The names were inked in gold especially to remember Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, who has been described as a hero for\u00a0waking up other campers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“So, got the gold, you know, hearts of gold, I’ve got a heart of gold and I just wanted to pass it on to them and especially their families,” Amohanga said.<\/p>\n

“I can only imagine what they’re going through … I know if it was me, I would want to be in there, getting my family out.”<\/p>\n

\"More<\/p>\n

Angela Amohanga walked into the vigil ground with six sombre black balloons in tow.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0RNZ \/ Kim Baker Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Through tears, she spoke of a feeling of devastation.<\/p>\n

It was the same as what many of the thousand or so people at the vigil were feeling.<\/p>\n

For seven long days there has been a sense of heaviness across Mount Maunganui, and it was hoped the vigil could lift a little of that weight.<\/p>\n

Angela Armer said it was important to come for a sense of connection.<\/p>\n

“It’s affected a lot of people and you just feel that everybody’s been affected by it,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It’s been a very emotional week, it really has, and all we can do is just imagine what the parents are going through and the families, you know.<\/p>\n

“It goes deep for a lot of people.”<\/p>\n

\"More<\/p>\n

More than 1000 people attended the vigil.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0RNZ \/ Kim Baker Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Relatives of victims were slowly guided and welcomed onto the grounds after attending an earlier, private ceremony with emergency workers.<\/p>\n

Older people from the community were asked sit in seats next to them in a show of support.<\/p>\n

“We all feel for the ones that have gone and their family,” another attendee, Liz, said.<\/p>\n

She too was visibly upset.<\/p>\n

“It’s so close to home, it could have been one of us or one of our family.”<\/p>\n

Sitting on the ground next to her was Joy.<\/p>\n

“I’ve climbed it and been around it many, many times and I feel for what’s happened down here is such a tragedy to our little Mount,” she said.<\/p>\n

“And I feel for everybody that’s here and it’s quite emotional.”<\/p>\n

She described the turnout as incredible.<\/p>\n

“We’ve got a beautiful night for it too,” she added.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A performance at the vigil for Mt Maunganui landslide victims as the sun went down.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0RNZ \/ Kim Baker Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The service progressed as the sun went down and the light faded.<\/p>\n

It was scheduled so most of it was to simply be together, the speeches made up only a small part.<\/p>\n

Many stood with their arm around the person next to them.<\/p>\n

Angela, sitting with Joy and Liz, said people were trying to feel a bit more normal.<\/p>\n

“We expected a lot of people to be here because a lot of people do feel for what has happened at the Mount,” she said.<\/p>\n

“And I think a lot of people, there’s nothing that we can do about it so we come together to support each other in this strange feeling that we have.<\/p>\n

“And everybody has this feeling of loss… I don’t know what it is, it’s a human thing, isn’t it? Getting together to mourn and pay respects.”<\/p>\n

\"More<\/p>\n

Many attendees stood with their arm around the person next to them.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0RNZ \/ Kim Baker Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The air was pierced with waiata with singing from Te Wharekura o Mauao and performer Ria Hall.<\/p>\n

Six names were also read out – Lisa, M\u00e5ns, Jacqueline, Susan, Sharon, and Max.<\/p>\n

Tauranga mayor Mah\u00e9 Drysdale also acknowledged 10-year-old Austen Richardson and his grandmother Yao Fang, the victims of another slip in P\u0101p\u0101moa.<\/p>\n

“One week ago today, tragedy struck our city and it changed our lives forever, we stand here tonight in solidarity with the families that devastatingly lost their loved ones.”<\/p>\n

He said the community deeply felt their grief.<\/p>\n

“It has been a hard week for everyone and it is bringing your loved ones home that has got us all through,” Drysdale said.<\/p>\n

The mayor also paid tribute to volunteers and emergency workers who he said were continuing to work tirelessly.<\/p>\n

“Tonight is about processing the tragic events of last week, it’s about supporting each other, it’s about sharing experience and hoping that we can start the recovery.<\/p>\n

“Just thank you to the families for your strength.”<\/p>\n

\"More<\/p>\n

Speeches made up only a small part of the commemoration.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0RNZ \/ Kim Baker Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the families were going through unimaginable grief.<\/p>\n

“And those first three days since that landslide occurred at the Mount Maunganui campground, every New Zealander, I’m telling you, was hoping for a miracle that I spoke to up and down this country,” he said.<\/p>\n

“And we were then devastated to receive the news that we’d all been dreading, and that was a particular cruelty that in this awful event, there were families that had actually just been celebrating a Kiwi summer at an awesome Kiwi campground.<\/p>\n

“And I want to say to the families, though I know it does not ease your grief or your pain or your suffering, I want you to know that New Zealand is with you, we grieve with you, every one of us stands with you at this very difficult and challenging time,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We can’t take away your pain, but we can carry some of its weight for you and alongside you.”<\/p>\n

\"More<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the families were going through unimaginable grief.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0RNZ \/ Kim Baker Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Work at the base of Mauao was ongoing and Police said workers were expected to be there for some time.<\/p>\n

Stephen Ireland, also at the vigil, had made a point of going to one of the re-opened cafes.<\/p>\n

“It was quite good, but it was a pretty quiet, sort of subdued atmosphere, I guess.<\/p>\n

“Having a coffee and then, because those diggers were just working there next to us, basically, and the trucks pulling the dirt out, it’s pretty surreal.<\/p>\n

“Unbelievable, really.”<\/p>\n

rnz<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Angela Amohanga walked into\u00a0the vigil ground\u00a0with six sombre black balloons in tow. Each of them carried\u00a0the name of a victim of Mount Maunganui’s deadly landslide\u00a0a week earlier. “I just wanted to do a tribute for an occasion that none of us liked, I think it’s touched many people,” she said. The names were inked in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":16412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[222,174],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-nz-news"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16503"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16504,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16503\/revisions\/16504"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}