“S… happens.”<\/p>\n
That was Robyn Hale\u2019s reaction to a giant eucalyptus tree smashing through her Kaitangata home during the 10 minutes of destruction caused by gale force winds on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The 68-year-old “grandmum” was having a lazy morning with her grandchildren Juno, 16, and Lily-Jean Findlay, 15, who were home because of the teachers\u2019 strike when disaster struck.<\/p>\n
“I was just making lunch and just heard the bang of the wind. The wind was horrendous.”<\/p>\n
Her house was shaking and she grabbed the door frames when she realised she was in danger, and decided to take a step back with Lily-Jean.<\/p>\n
Within moments, the tree fell on her house.<\/p>\n
The tree caved in the ceiling and detached the walls from her and her granddaughter\u2019s rooms.<\/p>\n
“Lily-Jean\u2019s room has been a wee bit modified.<\/p>\n
“She\u2019s got an indoor, outdoor flow,” Ms Hale said.<\/p>\n
She had just changed her sheets, rotated her mattress and was looking forward to tucking into some fresh linen that night.<\/p>\n
But after the tree crashed into her room, her bed sat in a pile of rubble and was exposed to the elements.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m just really grateful that it wasn\u2019t during the night and we were all up,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Hale had lived in the house for the past 25 years and it was covered by insurance, but she had no idea when the repairs would begin.<\/p>\n
She and her grandchildren were living in the granny flat next to the house with no power.<\/p>\n
Her late husband planted the eucalyptus tree in the 1970s so the damage was “his fault”, she joked.<\/p>\n
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