I was really looking forward to my surfing break away before I had to start work on the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta early March. Heading down to the Bay of Pleanty first to stay with friends and pick up my boards and then down through Whakatane. A few days before I arrived in New Zealand there was good size cyclone that had passed through Rarotonga and then down through Tonga. It had produced some awesome surf for almost 9 days on the East coast and every suffer (including myself) I came across seam to be making the most of it and the glorious warm weather.
Here is a small extract from Stuff.co.nz
Powerful winds are ripping off roofs, tearing down trees and power lines and cutting communications with the capital, as Cyclone Rene lashes Tonga.
"We don't know the extent of the damage right now, though there are no reports of serious damage or injuries," the South Pacific nation's National Disaster Office deputy director, Mali'u Takai, said.
Nadi Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre's Alipeti Waqaicelua said the Category Four cyclone was not expected to leave until tomorrow night or early in the morning.
"As far as Tongans are concerned they would not be out of the woods until tomorrow morning," he said.
Earlier the office warned that the cyclone could "increase to very destructive hurricane force."
My thoughts go out to all the Pacific Island and the local people who have to deal with this type of disaster and it is amazing to me that the waves that smashed in to these small islands make their way across the South Pacific for surfers to enjoy in New Zealand.Information on contributions to this disaster http://www.reliefweb.int
