Tonga tsunami: Tutukaka damage has business wondering, 'what next?'

The clean-up is set to continue at Tutukaka Marina on Monday, after a tsunami surge from the Tongan eruption hit the marina on Saturday night.

About eight to 10 boats have sunk, numerous other boats have been damaged, and there is extensive damage to marina structures, said Dive! Tutukaka owner Jeroen​ Jongejans​.

The New Zealand Civil Defence has cancelled a warning for people to stay off beaches and shore areas, but says strong and unusual currents, and unpredictable surges could continue on Monday.

While the tsunami surges were noticed across Northland’s west and east coasts, Tutukaka appears to be the only place where there is significant damage.

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Jongejans said Dive! Tutukaka was lucky to not have any damage to any of its boats.

“There were a lot of boats that floated towards us, but we managed to pull them away and put them elsewhere,” he said. “One [marina walkway] next door to us was completely crumpled.”

Jongejans said Dive! Tutukaka would like to get up and running as soon as possible, and he hoped tours could run by the end of the week, as long as sunken boats and navigational hazards could be cleared.

The business employs 40 locals and is important to the community to be running, especially after the devastating impacts of Covid-19, he said.

“We’ve had quite a few challenges over the last two years, from losing international tourists, to Covid in New Zealand, then Delta and the last lockdown in Auckland.

“We were starting to operate again and had the team on board and had a couple of busy weeks – then with the cyclone [Tropical Cyclone Cody] we lost four days, which is a pain, and then sneakily we got a tsunami running over the top of us.

"We start to wonder, when do the challenges stop?”

Jongejans was critical over the lack of warning about the tsunami, saying it was lucky no one was hurt or killed.

The National Emergency Management Agency issued an advisory at 8.15pm on Saturday, warning of strong and unusual currents on the north and east coast of the North Island and the Chatham Islands.

But Jongejans, who lives next to the marina, said there was no siren or phone notification – which are usually used for tsunami warnings in Northland – and no one in Tutukaka knew of the issues before the wave struck at 9.30pm.

The same lack of warning led to a group of fishers having to run for their lives in Northland’s Hokianga Harbour as water suddenly surged up to their waists.

Local Lili Mullane told Stuff she had heard of a tsunami advisory following the Tongan eruption, but believed it was only for the east coast.

While floundering, she and friends had to run then drive through the water to escape to safety, at about 1am on Sunday.

Jongejans said with early warning, some people might have taken their boats out of Tutukaka Marina to the safety of deeper water, or at least secured their mooring lines.

Those living on their boats would have been able to prepare, he said.

But Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management said there was no need for a widespread evacuation for people on land, which is what the tsunami sirens are used for.

Spokesman Murray Soljak​ earlier told Stuff the warnings did not extend beyond the strong and unusual currents.

There had also already been warnings issued about strong currents due to Tropical Cyclone Cody, which warned against swimming and boating in the northeastern North Island.

While there was significant damage to Tutukaka Marina, Soljak said it was very localised.

The National Emergency Management Agency said on Sunday New Zealand coastal areas on the north and east coast of the North Island, the west coast of the South Island and the Chatham Islands was expected to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges.

People should remain vigilant and take extra precautions on the coast, the agency said.

Soljak said in the past, such surges have continued for several days, so people needed to continue taking extreme care around the coast.