Land lost but freedom gained

The rain came down and then some more rain came down. A lot of rain.

It continued to fall from the sky, hour after hour, while I sat in my clifftop home watching the land carve away. My neighbour’s large jacaranda tree was pulled down the slope, taking some of my land with it. 

I got ready to self-evacuate and packed a bag with passport and toothbrush. The cat was loaded into the car and the dogs were ready to go. At times like these, you realise what really matters.

In the end I was able to stay in my home, albeit with a yellow sticker from the Council that has subsequently blocked access to some parts of the property. 

Now that a few months have passed, it’s time to take stock. Here are some things that come to mind. 

1. Let’s look out for each other.

A lot people have gone through similar experiences during this summer’s horrible weather. While the media focus has been on Hawkes Bay and Muriwai, there are people I know in Wairau Park, Parnell and elsewhere whose lives have been turned upside down. 

They’ve lost business premises or rental income, and have seen their homes yellow-stickered, with potentially years of waiting while geotech and insurance issues are resolved. People are sucking it up and getting on with life. That’s fine in the short term, but as the months drag on they may find themselves drained, both psychologically and financially.

If that’s you, make sure you reach out to friends and family. Don’t go into your shell. 

And if you’ve been fortunate enough to be spared major loss, keep a friendly eye open and be prepared to offer support. 

2. Maintenance matters!

The flooding that caused such problems in my neighbourhood was aggravated by a blocked drain on public land. It sent water pouring down our street, and then gravity directed the torrent down the steep slopes at the rear of our properties. As a result, our land slumped down the hillside. 

It’s a timely reminder that well maintained infrastructure is critical. While we can’t control public drains, we can clean gutters, keep our own drains clear, and generally make sure our properties are resilient. Prevention is a lot better than cure.

We’ll cover this topic in more detail in a future issue of this newsletter.

3. You can always look on the bright side

Monty Python said it first – sang it, actually – but there’s something to be said for finding positives in a situation.

In this case, I’ve lost some land but at least I no longer have to laboriously clear weeds from the portion that has now slipped down the hill. Instead, I have some terraces that may turn into a new planting opportunity. And my fortnightly task of mowing my older neighbour’s backyard lawn is history. No more Saturday night aches and pains!

I lost land but gained freedom. That’s a reason to be cheerful.

The serious point is that a positive outlook can help give us strength to deal with the demands of life. That’s not to minimise the very real problems we face, and the need to tackle them realistically, but it may prevent us being overwhelmed. Losses are real but so are the good things in life.

My autumn wish for you is to find the things that make life worthwhile, plus the resilience to keep on living your best life and achieving your goals.

We’re always here to talk about those goals – and how to structure your mortgage so you achieve them.