"S... happens."
That was Robyn Hale’s reaction to a giant eucalyptus tree smashing through her Kaitangata home during the 10 minutes of destruction caused by gale force winds on Thursday.
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’ strike when disaster struck.
"I was just making lunch and just heard the bang of the wind. The wind was horrendous."
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.
The tree caved in the ceiling and detached the walls from her and her granddaughter’s rooms.
"Lily-Jean’s room has been a wee bit modified.
"She’s got an indoor, outdoor flow," Ms Hale said.
She had just changed her sheets, rotated her mattress and was looking forward to tucking into some fresh linen that night.
"I’m just really grateful that it wasn’t during the night and we were all up," she said.
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.
She and her grandchildren were living in the granny flat next to the house with no power.
Her late husband planted the eucalyptus tree in the 1970s so the damage was "his fault", she joked.
