Surviving the storms is one thing, but I bet theres one hell of a view from inside that house too

Everything is flat here, so yeah the view is amazing. There's a shipping lane not too far out too, so if you get a set of binoculars or a zoom lens for a camera you can see what each of the ships is carrying.

It ain't stupid if it works, I guess.

I miss going through the beach towns when riding/driving around with friends and family. Really can't wait to go back.

I've always enjoyed that too. You reminded me I need to bring my bike next time i go. Thing's ancient but I love it!

cool house :3

Thanks!

I've only seen one house on pilings like that and it was inland from the beach but had been flooding by a creek in the last major storm.

I can see that. We've had our share of major floods that originated in creek beds. In one instance an entire neighborhood was flooded repeatedly to the point where eventually the government just bought out everyone's homes.
Funny enough in that case too there was one home owner who had their house jacked up 6 feet and put on a new foundation. Not knowing a few years later the government would buy out the neighborhood and force everyone to leave. Needless to say it turned into a long court battle

That has happened in another part of Matata the houses got damaged in the floods and were rebuilt/replaced afterwards and now the council has decided it's unsafe for people to live there and has started to condemn the houses to make people leave. Needless to say to locals are rather pissed about it.

Here is the house back in 2013 when they were putting it on the piles it looks a lot different now.
https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-37.8908494,176.7548632,3a,75y,91.08h,88.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szEvl7Vzkb15T7DmPRrWTYA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

And here is the area that they are condeming houses back in 2010 about 5 years after the flood. It looks a lot better now.
https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-37.8839625,176.7470756,3a,75y,33.06h,79.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3W9W7avaqhO3FVwQhQDhlw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I can't remember where I said it but here is an example of one of those smaller older housed surrounded by larger redevelopment.
https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-37.6518296,176.2046077,3a,75y,236.47h,85.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0hHVE-h4u7S2RsifNGipsg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I hope all of these links work.

It got to the point where the state was threatening to cut off mail service, electricity and water. I don't know if they did end up going willingly, or if they were forced out. But I've always been against people being forced off their own property. If they're willing to take the necessary precautions of living in a flood-prone area, which this person had done, I say let them stay.

I can't get over how much that last one looks like my grandmothers beach house http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17402187/ . Wish I had a photo from the back, as the back looked even more like the one in your last pic. Hers got some damage during Sandy, though it was limited to having to remove the carpet in the porch and replacing a few ceiling tiles, as the water never got above the floor. Only major thing we had to replace was the HVAC system, which was partly under the house. Though before that my parents had tried to convince my grandfather to have it raised up, because it was built in the 1950's and very low to the ground

From what I've read the District council is trying to get the regional council to remove existing use rights for their properties onece that happens the won't be able to live there anymore.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/bay-of-plen.....am-never-built

I'm guessing land rights aren't as big a deal there as they are here

It's more that the area has been declared unsafe for habitation by the district council. At the moment it depends on whether the regional council decides to do it or not if they don't there isn't much the district council can do.
That said the regional council will probably do it as they are in the gun at the moment for last years flooding of Edgecumbe because they botched a stop bank repair job that left most of the town under water and they don't want any more problems.

Ah, same thing happened here in Centralia. They tried to force the last residents out in the early 2000's, but ultimatey lost.

A lot of the residents are annoyed because they only rebuilt there after the council said they would build a flood control dam in the hills behind the town. Now the council has changed its mind and wants the houses gone so it won't be a problem anymore.

Yeah I'd say in that case they should keep their promise

Given the councils financial problems thats not going to happen.