History – Stormy times – Mangawhai Museum

Being in the north exposes Mangawhai to ex-tropical cyclones that bring lots of heavy rain and powerful winds. Northland has about one ex-tropical cyclone every year, meaning the area is more at risk from ex-tropical storms than the rest of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Storms have always been a part of Kaipara life, from Holocene Era weather events that increased sedimentation in the Kaipara Harbour and reshaped the coastline, to storms we know about from whakapapa. Around 1300, a storm claimed Chief Rongomai; in the early 1700s, great rains caused widespread flooding which led Manuhiri’s pet eel Whakatauhora to leave its usual pond and travel downriver, where it was caught and eaten by kuia (grandmothers), calling for a need for utu (balance) to be restored between Ngāti Manuhiri and the Kawerau whānau; and around 1980, a Mahurangi storm caused a bridal party to be stranded, with suspicion the storm was makutu (witchcraft) leading to an unravelling of peace arrangements.

Among recorded, instrument-monitored storms since, Cyclone Bola stands strong in collective memory (1988), or perhaps even more so, its answer in The Big Dig – a colossal vigilante effort to restore Mangawhai Harbour that has inspired exhibits, books and local yarns ever since, and which will be remembered with a 35th anniversary event this year.

More recently, a storm that struck Mangawhai on 24 February 2023, at its peak, delivered 250mm of rain in three hours – an unofficial record for a lowland site, which appears to only have been exceeded by 11 other events worldwide.

In recent years, storms have become more intense and destructive. Scientists say this is linked to climate change, which is warming the atmosphere and oceans giving storms more energy. Though not everyone agrees, our climate has become stormier. Recent events, like repeated flooding and the Mangawhai tornado, have certainly captured people’s attention.

Funded by Northland Regional Council, Mangawhai Museum’s current special exhibition, Storm Zone, is designed to help people understand and prepare for the storms that will inevitably come. Come in and be blown away by Storm Zone, an exhibition that invites you to consider the past storms of Kaipara, and how you can be ready and resilient, while getting hands on with interactives including a lightning ball, weather station, soundboard, and even a room that plunges you into a blackout.

What’s On at Mangawhai Museum
Jan – Mar | Special Exhibition: Storm Zone, step inside an experience
Sun 1 Feb | Rate-Mates’ Sunday: Free entry for Kaipara ratepayers
Fri 6 Feb | Waitangi Day free open day and events: kapa haka, weaving, and more
Fri 6 Feb | Understanding Te Tiriti Lecture by Roimata Smail, 6pm
Fri 13 Feb | Book launch: Timber Milling, 4pm
Sun 21 Feb | The Big Dig 25th Anniversary, 4pm
Tue 24 Feb | Wild Weather Talk by Jason Donaghy, 6pm
Thu 26 Feb | Becoming Aotearoa talk by Michael Belgrave, 6pm
Sat 28 Feb | Hands-on storms drop-in session, 11am-midday