Woodend Beach harness racing trainer Nina Hope is grateful the northwesterly wind was blasting her home when fire swept through Tuhaitara Coastal Park this week.
"It is not very often you can say that about a norwester," said Hope who trains in partnership with her husband, Greg.
"But if an easterly had been blowing when the fire came through we would have been in a lot of trouble.''
The fire began at Pegasus Beach around 8pm on Wednesday and swept through the park along the coast to Woodend Beach and beyond, fanned by the norwester.
"It was pretty frightening and took us back to the night of the earthquakes (in 2010 when their property was badly damaged)," Hope said.
The Hopes were able to stay in their home overnight but were among several harness racing trainers in the Woodend Beach community, including John and Jenna Dunn, Matt Purvis and Gavin Smith, who evacuated horses from their properties on Wednesday evening and early on Thursday morning.
"These animals are all highly-tuned race horses so that is the last thing you want to be doing in the middle of the night," Hope said.
"They were all really good to catch but it was so windy and definitely not something I would want to have to repeat.''
The Hopes’ horses were all back home again on Thursday afternoon and most had a day off after an eventful two days, which also included racing at trials at Addington Raceway on Wednesday in preparation for the New Zealand Trotting Cup meeting on November 8.
-By Shelley Topp
