A "Little Museum" Lost: Lifelong Collections Destroyed by Wellington Floodwaters

Vogeltown residents Janis and Jimmy McLauchlan describe the "river" outside their window that wrecked a lifetime of collections. Read more on the Wellington flood damage.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 20, 2026, 4:47 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

The Midnight River on Balfour Street

The deluge transformed Balfour Street into a waterway in the early hours of Monday morning. Janis McLauchlan describes waking at 4:00 AM to see a "river" outside her window. The force of the water was enough to lift her Toyota Corolla, rotating it 90 degrees and wedging debris against the chassis.

The structural damage was immediate:

Garden Walls: Two brick walls were leveled by the surge, one collapsing onto the driveway and another into a neighboring garden.

Silt and Debris: A thick layer of sediment now coats the property, burying driveways and lower-level rooms.

The Loss of a "Man Cave" Museum