After a deluge of impossible choices, Al is all out of options.
⚠️ This episode covers some distressing themes, including suicide and the loss of Al's dogs. Listener discretion is advised.
After a stormy night, all seems well as day dawns on February 14th 2023. They've dodged a bullet, but the gun is loaded. Before long, Pakowhai is under siege as the rivers close in on the small, rural community. There's no high ground and nowhere to go. Surrounded by rising water, Al's focus is on who needs help - people and animals alike. Not all can be saved. When he takes refuge on a shipping container, Al doesn't think he will be either. Rescue comes, but the reprieve of survival is short. The long battle that follows is raw and unforgiving as he stares down the barrel of grief and loss. Join Al on this journey from heartache to healing.
Originally from Shropshire in the UK, Al had immigrated nearly 30 years previously with his Kiwi partner, Ali. A dairy farmer already, he was a perfect fit for his new life in rural New Zealand. As their boys grew, so did the farms, and Al decided it was time for a change.
A love of dogs and a natural affinity with our canine companions steered Al in new directions. Nearly 20 years and thousands of wagging tails later, he was widely known as 'The Dogman'.
But in early 2023, a catastrophic event tore through their lives. A home, a business, a way of life, were suddenly gone. In their place, trauma, grief and uncertainty. There were no new directions. No blueprint or map. Just a silt-covered road to nowhere.
Al’s first steps along this road were heavy. Despair set like concrete, and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Overwhelmed and unmoored, he needed an anchor to hold him steady—an anchor to halt the drift into desperation and darkness.
This is a story of Al finding his anchors. In some cases, the anchors find him. As he turns the ship around, his journey becomes one of resilience and redemption.
If you enjoyed listening to FROM HEARTACHE TO HEALING, please take a moment to rate and review the episode. This ensures more people will discover these stories from Cyclone Gabrielle.
UNDER THE WEATHER has been featured on RNZ and Stuff. Links below to find out more:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360795376/devastation-healing-cyclone-gabrielles-untold-stories
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019002009/tales-of-horror-and-heroism-in-cyclone-gabrielle-podcast
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:40 Meet Al
04:50 The good life
06:00 Everything changes
08:30 Refuge
10:10 Oblivious
11:00 A few deep breaths
12:50 Shine the torch on your feet
14:15 A dark place
16:50 The community rallies
20:10 Pounamu
22:30 No respite
24:40 Gratitude
28:00 What NOT to say...
30:30 Looters
31:30 Divide & Conquer - Insurance
34:30 Divide & Conquer - Councils
37:40 A kick in the guts
40:20 Legacies
42:15 A tribute
43:30 An unexpected new chapter
44:30 Rock bottom
45:25 The light at the end of the tunnel
47:20 Arthur
49:10 A better person
51:20 Dinner club
52:30 Sound advice
55:45 Time to regroup
57:15 Conclusion
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Transcripts for Under the Weather are AI-generated.
