Bethells Beach residents are relieved to be reconnected to the rest of Auckland.
They were cut off when the one road in was taken out in last week's catastrophic floods in the city's west.
Locals are excited they'll be able to stock up on food and medicine again in time for the weekend. The community has been getting groceries thanks to hardy neighbours driving an SUV through sand dunes and mud.
"It's quite a different thing when that choice is taken away, It's been quite a big impact on a small community," grocery delivery volunteer Vicky Bethell told Newshub.
It's been especially tough for more vulnerable residents like two-year-old Harry, who has extra medical needs, his mum Rosie and dad Jason.
"If there's an emergency, what am I going to do? What risk am I going to take getting in a car and trying to go through the bush?" Jason said.
Jason did need to get out one night, and with osteoporosis and metal rods in his spine, the off-roading drive wasn't fun.
"Quite a few jolts and twists and turns, not something I'd want to make my new driveway."
Last week's catastrophic flooding in West Auckland caused a major washout on the road into Bethells Beach and cut the community off.
The washout has taken so long to fix because of its sheer size. It's 50m-long and 4m-deep, and trucks have been dropping rock there non-stop for the last seven days to fill it in.
Locals have been getting through thanks to overwhelming support from neighbours determined to look after each other.
"What did we do to deserve so much kindness from other people, we always feel really blessed and lucky," Rosie says.
But with contractors putting the final touches on a temporary gravel road ahead of Friday night's re-opening, it's a relief to know essentials will be easily accessible again soon.
