Mount Maunganui residents are raising urgent questions about whether earlier warnings were missed, as accounts emerge of visible slips and flowing water hours before the catastrophic landslide that left six people missing and a community in shock.
Local man Colin McGonagle says he saw clear signs of instability above the Beachside Holiday Park around 7.45am, well before the major slip thundered down the mountainside at approximately 9.30am on Thursday. While walking near the base of Mauao, he noticed what he described as a “mini waterfall” and multiple streams cutting through the embankment. Concerned, he stopped to photograph the damage.
On his way down, McGonagle spoke with a man in his 40s and a teenage girl camping in a blue tent directly beneath the slope. He has not seen them since. “If they had their tent there, there’s every possibility they’re still there,” he said, fearing they may be among the missing.
Despite the visible waterlogging, McGonagle said no official evacuation order was issued to campers. “Specialist geologists or whoever else in the emergency crew—people that should have known—maybe should have been there a little bit earlier and got them out of harm’s way.”
Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale confirmed reports of earlier slips, including one around 5am, and acknowledged the growing public concern. He has committed to an independent review. “We absolutely need to understand what happened in the lead‑up to this. These questions are legitimate and need to be answered,” he said.
For now, the focus remains on the search effort. Police say six people are unaccounted for, including a 15‑year‑old, while three others have yet to be located but are not currently believed to be involved. Superintendent Tim Anderson said inquiries continue to rule out any further victims.
Rescue crews initially heard voices beneath the debris, but there has been no sound since early Thursday morning. Heavy machinery continues to remove tonnes of mud as the operation stretches into its second night.
McGonagle returned to the scene after hearing sirens and witnessed a man standing near the hot pools, head bowed in grief. “You could just see he’s lost somebody he loves,” he said. “That hopelessness and despair—it stays with you.”
