January 21, 2026 • 5 mins
People still aren't accounted for in Mount Maunganui's Beachside Holiday Park, after a landslide roared into the campsite at the base of the mountain earlier this morning.
Tauranga City Council says most people have been evacuated from the park, and they're contacting campground guests who checked in and out.
Newstalk ZB reporter Brian Kelly says about 30 police cars have arrived - the most he's seen in the town.
"I spoke to one police officer going past me, running, and all he could say to me was that it's pretty bad."
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk ZEDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
A recovery operation is underway after a landslip at a
mountain long and Nuwi campground. Information is still being collected
as to how many people may be trapped in that landslide.
It is a significant event. On the line right now
is news Talks Heb's Brian Kelly BK. Very good afternoon
to you.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Good day guys. How are you doing good?
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Think you can you describe what you're seeing at the
holiday park? BK?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, right now there's a press conference underway with all
the emergency personnel Mayor of Tarang and Marty Drysdale, the
MP two MPs for the Bay of Plentyer here, Mark Mitchell,
Fire and Emergency and basically they're just describing what is
going on at the moment. We're nearly four hours from
when the incident happened and at this stage still there
(01:04):
is no confirmation of how many are missing. There's all
sorts of numbers being banned around, but they can't confirm
that at the moment. And then probably five hundred meters
down the road from where the press conferences. Is the
scene by the mount hot pools you would have probably
you know, anybody knows this area, Malo Mount mong Nui
is quite a sacred, sacred place, very popular for tourists.
(01:26):
The camping ground has been here for decades and decades
has been very very popular. But that's all going to
change after what happened. What happened this morning.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
So can you describe the mood that you're seeing on
the ground via BK.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
It's pretty somber. The Mount Surf Club families are in
there that were affected, because I believe there are children
that are involved that are missing as well. So the
police are doing a great job. They're here on mass
In fact, I don't think I've ever seen so many
police cars. We were at them out at nine point
thirty just after it happened this morning, and the number
(02:00):
of emergency vehicles that went through was quite phenomenal. The
campground has been virtually emptied out and as I speak
to you now, I can see cars coming, caravans out,
bringing mountain bikes out. Everybody. It's been evactivated from the campground.
There's a very very large truck with it. It's just
coming tow an Ocean Beach road that'll be heading towards
(02:22):
the side because it's a it's a big slip, it's
a massive slip, and they've got to be very very
careful on just what happens there.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Absolutely they do. Bekay, can you can you describe this
slip in a little bit more detail, what part of
the camp sites did it, did it happen in, and
roughly how big are we looking at and how many
potential tense caravans may have been in that pathway if
you know the.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Area at all. It's towards Pilot Bay, which is on
the opposite side to the ocean. So the mount hot
pools very very popular. They've only been upgraded in the
last few years. Quite a tourist attraction, so it's kind
of above that in factor. This morning when the slip
came down and actually carried a camp a van into
the hot pools itself in one of the large camp
(03:05):
of vans actually ended up inside the hots it's a
big next slip. With all the rain that we have had,
very very many brown condition so the slip is probably
under me high roughly, haven't been too close to it,
but it's a pretty big slip. And the number of tents,
caravan even cars. It is quite scary.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Really now, as you see before, it's a very famous campsite.
I've spent a lot of time there and it just
doesn't seem like the type of place that a slip
would happen. How much surprise is there that this has
happened from locals BKA.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Well, the amount of rain we had in the past
twenty four hours. I believe I heard a story just
a short time ago on the one o'clock news that
it's the most rain that's been recorded in the history
of rain being recorded in this area. So it's a
phenomenous amount of rain. In fact, the first piece of
land to go was on the ocean side, which is
the path that takes me up to Manui. If you
(04:02):
ever climbed up that path, beautiful step, lovely path being
wiped out, absolutely wiped out. That happened overnight. But then
you know this morning at nine point thirty, nobody basically
saw this coming and apparently the raw, the noise of
when it did start sliding, with large trees and so
on bringing it down was very, very scary. Indeed, as
(04:24):
we speak of just mentioning that very very large digger
has now been taken around in front of the high
rises on the ocean side to the site on real
b kay.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And what is the weather like looking now? Is it
starting to ease up somewhere?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, the rain's dawn, although it's gray and overcast at
the moment, but certainly it's not raining at the moment,
the hell well of it and what it was yesterday,
that's for sure.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Are there any other areas of concern around about the
Mount Monganui total area?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Not at the stage, although these things sets you out.
I mean the mountain brew sticks alside. So she had
simple teas rupted down just checking on the land stability
and so on. So they'll be watching with interest, you know,
what they can do and what may or may not happen.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, Brian, it is a horrific and scary event for
a lot of people and obviously the people a mout
Mong and Neuwi as well. It's been an incredibly tough
twenty four hours. Really, thank you to you for coming
on the show and you stay safe and we'll.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Talk again soon, pleasure mate.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
That is News Talks edb's Brian Kelly.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
For more from News Talks, EDB listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IR Radio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk ZEDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
A recovery operation is underway after a landslip at a
mountain long and Nuwi campground. Information is still being collected
as to how many people may be trapped in that landslide.
It is a significant event. On the line right now
is news Talks Heb's Brian Kelly BK. Very good afternoon
to you.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Good day guys. How are you doing good?
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Think you can you describe what you're seeing at the
holiday park? BK?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, right now there's a press conference underway with all
the emergency personnel Mayor of Tarang and Marty Drysdale, the
MP two MPs for the Bay of Plentyer here, Mark Mitchell,
Fire and Emergency and basically they're just describing what is
going on at the moment. We're nearly four hours from
when the incident happened and at this stage still there
(01:04):
is no confirmation of how many are missing. There's all
sorts of numbers being banned around, but they can't confirm
that at the moment. And then probably five hundred meters
down the road from where the press conferences. Is the
scene by the mount hot pools you would have probably
you know, anybody knows this area, Malo Mount mong Nui
is quite a sacred, sacred place, very popular for tourists.
(01:26):
The camping ground has been here for decades and decades
has been very very popular. But that's all going to
change after what happened. What happened this morning.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
So can you describe the mood that you're seeing on
the ground via BK.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
It's pretty somber. The Mount Surf Club families are in
there that were affected, because I believe there are children
that are involved that are missing as well. So the
police are doing a great job. They're here on mass
In fact, I don't think I've ever seen so many
police cars. We were at them out at nine point
thirty just after it happened this morning, and the number
(02:00):
of emergency vehicles that went through was quite phenomenal. The
campground has been virtually emptied out and as I speak
to you now, I can see cars coming, caravans out,
bringing mountain bikes out. Everybody. It's been evactivated from the campground.
There's a very very large truck with it. It's just
coming tow an Ocean Beach road that'll be heading towards
(02:22):
the side because it's a it's a big slip, it's
a massive slip, and they've got to be very very
careful on just what happens there.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Absolutely they do. Bekay, can you can you describe this
slip in a little bit more detail, what part of
the camp sites did it, did it happen in, and
roughly how big are we looking at and how many
potential tense caravans may have been in that pathway if
you know the.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Area at all. It's towards Pilot Bay, which is on
the opposite side to the ocean. So the mount hot
pools very very popular. They've only been upgraded in the
last few years. Quite a tourist attraction, so it's kind
of above that in factor. This morning when the slip
came down and actually carried a camp a van into
the hot pools itself in one of the large camp
(03:05):
of vans actually ended up inside the hots it's a
big next slip. With all the rain that we have had,
very very many brown condition so the slip is probably
under me high roughly, haven't been too close to it,
but it's a pretty big slip. And the number of tents,
caravan even cars. It is quite scary.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Really now, as you see before, it's a very famous campsite.
I've spent a lot of time there and it just
doesn't seem like the type of place that a slip
would happen. How much surprise is there that this has
happened from locals BKA.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Well, the amount of rain we had in the past
twenty four hours. I believe I heard a story just
a short time ago on the one o'clock news that
it's the most rain that's been recorded in the history
of rain being recorded in this area. So it's a
phenomenous amount of rain. In fact, the first piece of
land to go was on the ocean side, which is
the path that takes me up to Manui. If you
(04:02):
ever climbed up that path, beautiful step, lovely path being
wiped out, absolutely wiped out. That happened overnight. But then
you know this morning at nine point thirty, nobody basically
saw this coming and apparently the raw, the noise of
when it did start sliding, with large trees and so
on bringing it down was very, very scary. Indeed, as
(04:24):
we speak of just mentioning that very very large digger
has now been taken around in front of the high
rises on the ocean side to the site on real
b kay.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And what is the weather like looking now? Is it
starting to ease up somewhere?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, the rain's dawn, although it's gray and overcast at
the moment, but certainly it's not raining at the moment,
the hell well of it and what it was yesterday,
that's for sure.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Are there any other areas of concern around about the
Mount Monganui total area?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Not at the stage, although these things sets you out.
I mean the mountain brew sticks alside. So she had
simple teas rupted down just checking on the land stability
and so on. So they'll be watching with interest, you know,
what they can do and what may or may not happen.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, Brian, it is a horrific and scary event for
a lot of people and obviously the people a mout
Mong and Neuwi as well. It's been an incredibly tough
twenty four hours. Really, thank you to you for coming
on the show and you stay safe and we'll.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Talk again soon, pleasure mate.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
That is News Talks edb's Brian Kelly.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
For more from News Talks, EDB listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IR Radio
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