Memories from New Zealand
1. "9/11 all happened during the night for us in New Zealand. When I woke up I heard the TV on and this was odd because we were never allowed the TV on in the mornings. I usually stayed in bed as long as I could, but this made me curious. I found my mum just sitting there, staring at the TV.
Very surreal."
- Anonymous
Very surreal."
- Anonymous
2. "It was my final year of university and I was staying at my girlfriends place the night the planes hit. A buddy of mine was out on the town and the bars in Auckland stopped the partying to turn on the TV and watch the new.
First plane hit ~12:45 am NZ time. He watched the second plane hit live on a bar's TV screen.
I woke up about 7-ish in the morning to a text message from him sent five hours before.
'World Trade Centre Bombed. Pentagon Bombed. WWIII'
We got out of bed quickly to turn on the TV and alerted all my girlfriend's flatmates to what was happened. I remember the absolute surreal feeling to what we were watching. We all knew the world was changed. We all knew america was going to go f*ck someone up. I don't think we could imagine how lasting the impact of that event would be on the world.
At the time I lived with an American foreign exchange student, who was actually from New York state and who had family who lived in the city. She was trying the phone all day to talk to someone and figure out if her family was safe. They all were thankfully. We all rallied around the few Americans on campus and shared their grief."
- C. F.
First plane hit ~12:45 am NZ time. He watched the second plane hit live on a bar's TV screen.
I woke up about 7-ish in the morning to a text message from him sent five hours before.
'World Trade Centre Bombed. Pentagon Bombed. WWIII'
We got out of bed quickly to turn on the TV and alerted all my girlfriend's flatmates to what was happened. I remember the absolute surreal feeling to what we were watching. We all knew the world was changed. We all knew america was going to go f*ck someone up. I don't think we could imagine how lasting the impact of that event would be on the world.
At the time I lived with an American foreign exchange student, who was actually from New York state and who had family who lived in the city. She was trying the phone all day to talk to someone and figure out if her family was safe. They all were thankfully. We all rallied around the few Americans on campus and shared their grief."
- C. F.
3. "I was 14 and my alarm clock was set to turn on the radio. The news that I listened to was about planes flying into buildings in NY. My mum came in and mentioned it, but she often mentioned current events and I hadn't caught on to it being so big.
At school that morning I had a lesson in the Library and was watching the aftermath on TV. We had a girl in my year from America and I remember her being upset. I thought at the time, as a 14 year old, that it was strange that she was upset when she doesn't know the people affected.
Almost 20 years on and I am living in Australia, listening to NZ radio when the Christchurch massacre plays out. I'm a lot older than on 9/11 but I now know why this girl was so upset. I don't understand why, but the heart aches with grief for people you do not know."
- Chris McKenna
At school that morning I had a lesson in the Library and was watching the aftermath on TV. We had a girl in my year from America and I remember her being upset. I thought at the time, as a 14 year old, that it was strange that she was upset when she doesn't know the people affected.
Almost 20 years on and I am living in Australia, listening to NZ radio when the Christchurch massacre plays out. I'm a lot older than on 9/11 but I now know why this girl was so upset. I don't understand why, but the heart aches with grief for people you do not know."
- Chris McKenna
4. I was 15 and woke up sick that morning. We would always climb into mum and dads bed when we were unwell as they had a TV in their room. Every channel was about the planes and the towers, I was just transfixed on what was going on. It didn't seem real.
My dad arrived home after milking the cows about 9 am. He walked into the room and I remember this like it was yesterday, he asked me what movie I was watching. I just looked at him and said,
'It's not a movie.'
It seemed to take him a while to understand what I just said. He walked around the bed and sat down, didn't say a word. I got up and made him breakfast and a coffee.
We just sat in silence.
He would normally leave the house again about 10 am. But that day, he left at 11 am and I could tell that was a struggle for him.
- L. H.
My dad arrived home after milking the cows about 9 am. He walked into the room and I remember this like it was yesterday, he asked me what movie I was watching. I just looked at him and said,
'It's not a movie.'
It seemed to take him a while to understand what I just said. He walked around the bed and sat down, didn't say a word. I got up and made him breakfast and a coffee.
We just sat in silence.
He would normally leave the house again about 10 am. But that day, he left at 11 am and I could tell that was a struggle for him.
- L. H.
5. "I was a new mother of a six month old baby. My husband called me from work and said,
'Turn on the TV, the World Trade Centre has been hit!'
I sat there watching the footage screen over and over, wondering what kind of world we'd brought our son into and what would become of humanity. It felt equally unreal and terribly scary."
- Jayne Conning
'Turn on the TV, the World Trade Centre has been hit!'
I sat there watching the footage screen over and over, wondering what kind of world we'd brought our son into and what would become of humanity. It felt equally unreal and terribly scary."
- Jayne Conning