Alpaca rescued in West Auckland following floods

Businesses in the area say Tuesday’s flooding is a double blow, with many already struggling with Alert Level 4 lockdown restrictions

An alpaca that was swept kilometres down the Henderson Valley in this week's flooding has been rescued.

About 50 properties were evacuated during a storm on Monday night, and rivers burst their banks.

Locals found Lorenzo the alpaca in bush near a park on Henderson Valley Road.

It had found refuge from the floodwaters on land that had become an isolated island due to swollen streams. He had been stuck there for almost a day and a half.

When 1 NEWS visited today, Lorenzo was too tired to move himself, and nearby residents were cutting a path through the bush and building a make-shift bridge across one of the streams.

The alpaca belonged to James Pritchett's neighbour up the valley.

He told 1 NEWS his neighbour had seven alpacas, but the flash flood swept them down the stream before they could be rescued.

"We lost a couple and a couple survived," he said.

"We were still out looking, and someone told me there was an alpaca out here stuck on an island."

An animal first aid worker arrived to help the group, which eventually managed to lead the alpaca out of the bush. They then carried Lorenzo across a makeshift bridge to safety.

Meanwhile, property owners are continuing to count the cost of the flooding, with many now on the phone to insurers.

Several buildings at Carey Park Christian Camp, on Henderson Valley road, were badly damaged.

About 30 people were sheltering at the campsite when the storm hit.

An alpaca was swept kilometres down the Henderson Valley in this week's flooding

A large hall on the site was ripped apart by the floodwaters, with walls cracked open and mud covering all the floors. A commercial kitchen downstairs had been destroyed, covered by 1.2m of water and mud at the height of the flood.

The deck outside was no longer structurally sound, and parts of a playground that once sat outside had been scattered for kilometres downstream.

Businesses in Kumeū were also facing a long clean up. Many were already struggling with the financial impacts of the Alert Level 4 lockdown.

"Covid already hit us...I don't know how to survive," said Gulab Singh Bisht, the owner of the Curry Leaf Restaurant.

Flood waters tore through his restaurant, destroying carpet, furniture, and food.

An alpaca was swept kilometres down the Henderson Valley in this week's flooding.

"I've been here for 20 years, and this is the first time I’ve seen this."

Across the road, the office at Kumeū Huapai Panel Beaters had been destroyed, and equipment and cars had been damaged in the garages and yard.

"It's really hard to put into words how devastating it is, when we've just experienced two weeks of lockdown and still got however many weeks of lockdown," said owner Sue Grimmer.

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