Cyclone Gabrielle is considered the worst recorded storm in New Zealand's history. Gabrielle brought constant 40mph winds and another 10 inches of rain to wet soils and dropped over 500 trees at our course. This storm shut down North Island for a week, making commuting for the staff impossible. All of North Island was in the middle of it. 

Strangely, January and February are usually the hottest and driest months; temperatures averaging 73 degrees Fahrenheit. The area typically gets around two inches of rain between those months. Every Kiwi (native to New Zealand) has told me this has been the worst summer they have ever seen. 

We have three holes (numbers 1, 3, and 4) where flooding has been a problem for us. Flooding occurs because these holes are low-lying, and the water table is at maximum capacity in these areas. Drainage will be added to these areas in winter when the course is drier. All we can do is divert the water using water pumps for now.

The last month here I am hoping that it will be sunny and with no rain. As I write this blog two weeks later and have almost recovered from the Cyclone, we are getting railed by rain. In just one hour, we received four inches of rain. No course can handle this much water at a time. But luckily, our course is all sand and will drain quickly.