STORM

I stayed the night in the YHA in Awanui on the top westhand coast of the North Island. All night there was torrential rain and very high winds. I got up very early in the morning and the sky was black. There was no electricity and no water. I felt incredibly nervous about the impending storm. Especially as the place I was staying in was just a wooden prefab type building. So I decided that the best bet was to head as near to Aukland as I could before the worste of the storm hit. The news the night before said that it would be about ten o clock before the centre of the storm began travelling down the country.
I packed the car up really quickly in the strong wind and rain.I have to say my heart was pounding in my chest as I was not sure just how bad the storm was going to be and the sky was already dark.
I set off and it took me five and a half hours to get to Aukland.
It was the most frightening drive of my life. I am the one who always says "what kind of idiot would venture out in a storm like that?" But I did not want to sit in a prefab building waiting for it to hit.
The winds were so strong the car was being buffetted over the road at times and I could hardly see for the rain.

The sea was washing over the road in parts!
I resorted to chatted to myself in the car at times saying"oh please god look after me". I felt once I had started there was no turning back. But I have never seen such a dark sky and it was very eiery.
I was so glad when I reached Auckland YHA. I was really shattered from concentrating on the drive. But glad that I had made it to the city.
In the papers the next day It showed the destruction over the North Island and I realised just how lucky I had been. Lots of the roads I had used were either flooded or closed due to fallen tress. And vaste areas had not got electricity.
But in retrospect I would not do the drive again in those conditions especially on the little mountain roads in the high winds!!!