Hero's Last Hours Documented in Mt Maunganui Landslide Review
A former judge's review into the January 22 landslide at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park has found that the six deaths were preventable. The 268-page report, released on August 20, 2026, details the final hours of Lisa Maclennan, a Morrinsville teacher who lost her life, as she and her husband Travis desperately tried to warn campground authorities.
The report, compiled by former judge Paul Davison KC, concluded that the deaths resulted from systemic failure. It included photographs taken by Maclennan and drew on interviews with her husband, Travis.
A Morning of Warnings
According to the report, as relayed by 1News, Lisa and Travis were asleep at around 4:30 am when the slope behind their campervan slipped, striking the vehicle. Thinking it was an earthquake, Lisa woke her husband. They then saw that a landslide had come down and was partially underneath the campervan.
They woke the occupants of a nearby tent and spent the next hour trying to report the slip, hoping other campers could be warned and relocated. Their first phone call went through to a security guard, but nobody was on site. An hour later, they were called by a member of the council's Emergency Operations Centre welfare team. The issue was resolved and handled as a welfare and accommodation matter.
At around 5:45 am, a member of the public reported landslides to Fire and Emergency NZ. Access to the mountain tracks was closed promptly, but no consideration was given to the implications for campers at the foot of the mountain. The report noted that the Maclennans continued to alert other campers, including occupants of two cabins and a campervan.
Lisa took photographs at 6:17 am, 8:01 am, and 8:08 am, showing the slipping land and muddy water. These photos were later included in the review. At around 7 am, she and Travis found the camp manager, who offered a refund and a replacement cable for the one covered by the slip, then drove off.
At 8 am, a stream of turbid muddy water flowed from the base of the mountain, carrying silt and gravel. By that time, four small slips had occurred in the vicinity.
The Fatal Landslide
Just before 9:30 am, Lisa, Sharon Maccanico, and Max Furse-Kee were showering in the amenities block when the slope above collapsed, engulfing the building. Despite frantic efforts of those nearby, the three could not be rescued. The other three victims were Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, from Sweden; Jacqualine Wheeler, 71, from Rotorua; and Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, from Ngongotaha.
The NZ Herald also reported that the Maccanico family had originally decided to cut their summer camping holiday short due to bad weather. However, a campground staff member then convinced the Aucklanders to stay. Two days later, the landslide took the lives of Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee.
"Missed Opportunities"
The review revealed a litany of failures and "missed several opportunities." It made 20 recommendations covering the management of risks to life, monitoring of geohazards, and responses to emergency warnings.
Travis Maclennan stated that the report highlights his wife's extraordinary, selfless actions and heroic lengths. He told 1News that she went to "heroic lengths to help those around her." The report included photos taken by Lisa and interviews with Travis.
Perspectives
Travis Maclennan: Through his statement, Travis expressed that the report highlights Lisa's extraordinary, selfless actions and heroic lengths to help those around her.