On the west coast of Aotearoa, New Zealand, less than an hour from central Auckland, is Muriwai Beach, a popular destination known for its black sand, surf, gannets and sunsets.

A few years ago it was also home to around 1200 people, a small vibrant coastal community close to the land, the sea and each other. On the 13th of February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle changed all of that.

Flooding and landslides devastated the area, tearing through the landscape, damaging homes and claiming the lives of two local firefighters. Many residents were left facing an uncertain future.

This podcast captures what happened on the night and in the days, months and years that followed.

Welcome to Precipice. With me, your host Mandy Jakich.

Across 26 episodes, I speak with fellow Muriwai locals, volunteers, and those involved in the emergency and recovery effort. Together they share their experiences of loss and upheaval, the impact on their lives, and the care, resolve, and community-led initiatives that helped Muriwai find a way forward.

Told in local voices, Precipice is both an archive and a resource, a record of what one community lived through in the face of disaster and what others may be able to learn from it.

The Precipice series can be found in 3 seasons on all podcast apps and on the Muriwai Community Association website.

Precipice launched on July 20th 2026. 3 seasons will be released across 6 weeks and then the full series of 26 episodes will be available for you to listen to at your leisure.

Season 1: Cyclone Gabrielle Hits Muriwai

Season 2: Disaster Recovery and Community Restoration

Season 3: Community Initiatives after a Cyclone

Follow for more honest, authentic stories from people who were there, at the precipice.

Listen on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/@precipicepodcast

Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/precipicepodcast

Hosted and produced by Mandy Jakich

Commissioned and funded by Muriwai Community Association, supported by the Auckland Council Recovery Office.