After a long, wet week, this weekend on the east coast of New Zealand's north island began with sunshine and the last wisps of hope that a miracle might still occur.
Locals and visitors alike came to lay flowers, pay their respects, and pray as they looked towards the mountain that on Thursday came crashing down over a popular campsite, trapping six people.
But a forecast of rain, strong winds and even hail felt like an omen of the news that was to come.
After two days of holding out hope despite all the odds, the local police superintendent had the heart-wrenching job of announcing that no one trapped by the landslide at Mount Maunganui could have survived.
Rescue crews had worked nonstop, including through the night, since Thursday.
Overnight, they found human remains, and by Saturday's end, New Zealand Police released the names of the six people believed to have been killed, buried under many tonnes of dirt, trees and debris that wiped out caravans and an amenities block.
"Search teams, supported by contractors and machinery, are continuing to work through the debris, towards the amenities block," Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said.
"From what we have seen, the building suffered catastrophic damage and we are confronted with the reality that it is highly unlikely anyone would have been able to survive."
Among them were two 15-year-olds, both from the same college in Auckland, Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee.
"Devastatingly, my Max was one of the people trapped in the Mt Maunganui slip on Thursday morning," his mother said in a post on Facebook.
"Hug your babies, life can change in a moment."
Another victim, Lisa Maclennan, 50, was honoured by the school at which she worked.
"Lisa Maclennan (our amazing Literacy Centre tutor), is one of the people trapped in the landslide at Mount Maunganui," Morrinsville Intermediate School posted on its Facebook page.
"We continue to hope and pray for Lisa. Our love and aroha go out to Lisa's family."
A 20-year-old from Sweden, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, was also identified by police.
Mayor of Rotorua Tania Tapsell paid tribute to two members of her community, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler and Susan Doreen Knowles, who were both 71.
"Mauao (Mount Maunganui) and this campground hold special family memories for so many. We are all devastated at the tragedy that has occurred," she said on Facebook.
"We send our love and prayers to those who have lost their loved ones. The pain is impossible to imagine.
"We also acknowledge the work by those who've given their all to the rescue, and now recovery operation."
Radio New Zealand reported the two women were on a camping trip together.
A popular tourist destination
Mount Maunganui is one of New Zealand's most popular tourist destinations.
Mauao, as it's also known, looms large over a long spit famous for its surfing, flanked by beautiful beaches on either side.
Usually at this time of year, the area, referred to as the Noosa of New Zealand by locals, would be bustling.
"Mount Maunganui always has a great vibe, people everywhere, but now there's no-one around, it's heartbreaking," local Ann Harvey told the ABC, adding that she had never imagined something like this could happen.
The landslide occurred about 9:30am on Thursday, local time, crashing over the campsite at the base of the mountain and the neighbouring Mount Hot Pools.
The night before, a state of emergency had been declared for the local area and several others, as storms and torrential rain hit the region.
Locals reported there were huge amounts of water pouring down the mountain, with questions now being asked about whether more could have been done to evacuate the entire campsite earlier.
The local Tauranga City Council said it will commission an independent inquiry into the events leading up to the disaster.
"There's some stories that there was a slip early and that [someone] moved a few people on and potentially that has saved a number of lives," Mayor Mahé Drysdale told the ABC.
"Further down the track, we need to answer the questions, what happened, what are the facts and what potentially could have been (done) differently.
"But right now we've got to focus on supporting the emergency services and those families."
The emotion around the site and even outside the cordon is palpable.
For the second night in a row, a Karakia (prayer in Maori) was offered by Iwi (the local Maori tribe) for the rescue and emergency crews, those supporting them and of course the families of the victims.
A rahui has been declared by Iwi, meaning it is now forbidden to walk on the mountain.
A memorial outside the police cordon, which began with a handful of white roses woven through a fence, grew throughout the day.
Despite heavy rain and gusty winds so strong they knocked a woman off her feet, locals and tourists continued to come and pay their respects.
"I just wanted to bring solidarity, the situation is devastating," Jael Csoka, a visitor from Austria, said.
"Just to bring comfort, and also I'm a Christian, so just to pray for God's comfort."
Risk of more landslides
While authorities are eager to reunite families with the bodies of their loved ones as quickly as possible, the reality with the weather is that crews are working under the risk of further landslides.
A 30-metre exclusion zone was put in place last night due to that risk, applying to all boats and people, including swimmers.
Another small slip occurred at the recovery site on Friday night, and several trees immediately next to the landslide look unstable and are leaning precariously.
"As a lay person, when you look at it [further slips] would have to be a concern," Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said.
[map]"The health and safety and wellbeing of our staff on the ground is paramount.
"The material that slipped from the mountain is sodden. It's heavy and hit with massive force. The impact, movement and weight means this is an incredibly challenging scene to work through, and those involved are doing their jobs admirably and respectfully."
He added that finding all the bodies and identifying them could take some days.
New Zealand's chief coroner Judge Anna Tutton said the bodies would be taken to the mortuary at Wellington and she was talking families through the identification process.
"I want to assure the families and friends of those who are unaccounted-for that once recovery of victims is possible, they'll be treated with dignity and respect," she said.
"We know families will be desperate to have the people they love united with them … that drives our actions."
Sadly, the disaster is far from isolated to this one community.
A grandparent and grandchild died in another landslide in Papamoa, about 30 minutes away from Mount Maunganui, while last night a body was recovered from the Mahurangi River, north of Auckland, days after a man was swept away in a car.
In the Gisborne region, roads have been destroyed by immense flooding, isolating several communities, and evacuations were ordered last night in Onepoto and parts of Te Araroa because of the risk of landslides.
And weather warnings are now in place for the rest of the weekend as strong winds and rain are due to hit the lower South Island.
After a brutal, devastating week, a country in mourning is now bracing for more.
