Good Neighbour rescues 17 tonnes of storm-blown avocados

Gale-force winds that lashed the Western Bay of Plenty over the weekend of 13–14 September caused widespread devastation to local avocado orchards, with many growers reporting losses of up to 75 percent of their crop. MetService recorded wind speeds at Minden of 101.9 km/h on the Saturday and a punishing 133.3 km/h on the Sunday, while Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Craig Gray said his station responded to 29 callouts in just 14 hours on the 14th. Thousands of households were left without power across the North Island, the majority in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Local charity Good Neighbour saw an opportunity to turn the disaster into something meaningful. Its Second Harvest team launched a 12-day recovery effort across the Te Puna–Katikati area, collecting windfall fruit from 17 orchards. By the time the operation wrapped up on 28 September, the team had rescued, sorted and distributed around 17 tonnes of avocados to food hubs, community organisations and whānau stretching from Kaitāia to Wellington.

General manager Renee Hanna said the response had been deeply emotional. "Avocados are the kind of food that people we distribute to would never even imagine buying — it's something they simply don't get their hands on at all," she said. She described the moment recipients encountered the fruit as genuinely moving, noting that what one person takes for granted can be a rare treat for another. Volunteers also shared avocados within their own neighbourhoods, spreading a ripple of generosity through the community.

Hanna encouraged any orchardist who finds themselves with surplus or unwanted produce in future to get in touch, saying the priority is ensuring fruit doesn't rot on the ground while people are going without. Good Neighbour can be reached by emailing hello@goodneighbour.co.nz or phoning 07 394 4249.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).