Hurricane survivors make safe return

They were feared lost in a hurricane that swept a small Pacific atoll, but three Auckland city library books have been returned safe and sound.

The books were among Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee's luggage that he had to leave behind on the French Polynesian atoll of Onetahi when Cyclone Oli struck, prompting an emergency evacuation last month.

Mr Lee, who has a masters degree in conservation biology, was part of a team undertaking rat eradication on the island, and a helicopter was sent to get them out when the bad weather rolled in.

"We pulled out as the sea was coming up over the airstrip," he says.

Mr Lee says Air New Zealand "pulled out all the stops" to retrieve the team's abandoned baggage, something he says was not easy.

"It's not normal process to send around unattended baggage these days."

He was relieved to have his belongings back and even more relieved to discover someone at the library had renewed his books while they were still missing in action, so he has escaped a hefty overdue fine.

He paid the $8.70 already owing on his card and says he had earlier told the library that he would make his "best endeavours" to get the books back after he had to leave them behind.

Auckland city libraries group manager Allison Dobbie says: "We're really pleased to see the books back and hope this means that damage in the islands was minimal."

- © Fairfax NZ News