Michael Van de Elzen is naturally a man of action.
The busy food entrepreneur, chef, event caterer, farmer, author, cast-iron cookware manufacturer and owner of Muriwai cooking school Good from Scratch always has something on the boil. Currently he’s also filming the fifth series of TVNZ show Eat Well For Less, finding ways for Kiwis to shop, cook and eat better, with co-host Ganesh Raj, set for release later this year.
But two years ago, Mike’s family and community was turned upside down when the West Auckland region of Muriwai was ravaged by Cyclone Gabrielle. Gale force winds and torrential rain flattened houses and businesses. It led to two volunteer firefighters losing their lives and 125 families displaced. Although some of their trees came down, the farm wasn’t damaged, so Mike, 52, wife Bee, 51, and their daughters Hazel, 14, and Ivy, 12, sprang into action, providing food and shelter for people who had lost their homes, businesses and loved ones.
“It’s a time none of us will ever forget,” says Mike. “Things are slowly starting to open up again, but Muriwai is still far from back to normal. Parts of Motutara Road, which had multiple landslides, is still a mess and will be for years.
“The bottom shop that used to be the hub of the community is still closed, which is really sad, but we’ve tried to support and help wherever we can. Our cooking school has been a big centre of support and we’ve hosted a couple of fundraisers, which have raised almost $60,000.”
Support for the stricken region has been extraordinary. Celebrated Kiwi iron sculptor Jeff Thomson is creating an artwork made from 68 pieces of iron from each of the damaged houses. Meanwhile, Mike, Bee and the girls play host to locals at their farm shop, which takes place on the first Saturday of every month, and at the cooking school. The golf club, and nearby Muriwai Lodge and deli are also popular spots for people to meet and share stories. A week after Cyclone Gabrielle, Mike and Bee helped cater at an event for around 200 at the golf club, only to have to scramble when 1000 people turned up.
“That was nuts,” he recalls. “We were ringing every supermarket and food supplier, and raiding all the fridges we could find to feed everyone.”
Two years on, the cyclone is still the talk of Muriwai.
“It’s hard not to,” says Mike. “The grief was severe and there have been many very traumatic, emotional conversations. People are still feeling the effects – there’s a tangible anxiety every time we have heavy rain or strong winds. I worry about losing more trees, but others feel scared that the land will move from underneath them again.”
The disaster has also had a significant impact on Mike and Bee’s girls. “It added tremendous stress to the family,” admits Mike. “The financial stress of having to shut down the farm and school again so soon after Covid had already done so much damage was huge for Bee and me. And that affected the girls too. They saw some really deeply difficult and traumatic situations.”
But Mike says there’s plenty to feel positive about.
“When we stepped in to help, the girls were a big part of that operation. Both of them have learned great compassion from that,” he reflects. “West Auckland is such an incredible community. The cyclone is something we went through together, so we can understand the difficult feelings together.
“It’s also made us stronger – we look after each other better. We remember the people we lost, but when we meet, the hugs and the handshakes are warmer because of the friendships that have been formed.”
Mike’s also delighted the region’s famous gannet colony has returned.
“The gannets have actually taken over the viewing platform – they seem to like it there!” he grins. “I drove past the other day, and it was heaving with people wanting to see them and to visit Muriwai. It’s just wonderful. And while we’re not there yet, we are rebuilding where there was damage.”
And this year, the family managed to take their first holiday in almost seven years.
“I actually wanted a boat, but the girls wanted to go to Japan, so I lost!” he laughs. “It was wonderful to get away and spend time with the family. It was also another step towards moving forward, which we’re all having to learn to do.”
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