A flash-flood that swept through the Wanderlust Backpackers in Katikati in New Zealand's North Island has shown that
cheap travel insurance could be a good option.
The Bay of Plenty Times reports that when the Uretara Stream burst its banks, water flooded into the ground floor of the hostel, prompting guests to scramble to unplug electrical equipment.
Local firefighters did not have enough time to curb the flow of water, despite arriving at the scene only ten minutes after being notified.
Brendan Meehan, owner of the property next door to the hostel, told the paper: "I saw it happening so I got the paperwork and computer out, all the customers' laundry we were able to get upstairs; it was just the machines, really."
Wanderlust Backpackers owner Scotty Miles has around two weeks to clean up the flood damage before the start of the kiwifruit picking season at his orchard.
The incident is a reminder of how
gap year travel insurance could offer property protection in the wake of such incidents.
European settlers first named the region the Bay of Plenty having seen the abundance of food in the area.
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