An emotional phone call from a Hawkes Bay mate has initiated a Southland wide cyclone relief effort, led by Papatotara dairy farmer Jock Saunders.

"I got a mate up there [at Puketapu, south of Napier] and he rang me damn near in tears," Saunders said.

"He wanted me to box up batteries and radios and pretty much anything I could get my hands on. 'Just write emergency supplies on it' he said, and it would get fast tracked."

"I finished feeding out and said why the hell are we doing that - let's send a truck."

Saunders is no stranger to helping out in disasters. In the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes, he helped organise a B-train of relief supplies from Balclutha (his home at the time).

Saunders has now initiated a Southland relief effort with a central drop-off/storage base at DairyTech South Winton and satellite drop off points across Southland (see below).

Saunders said he had called in a lot of favours, including from his mates, acquaintances and "a few I went to Telford with years ago."

Donations will be transported free of charge across Southland, and to Napier thanks to McNeil Distribution and Conroy Removals.

Once there they will be stored and distributed from BioAg's Napier facilities, Saunders said.

DairyTech South owner Shane Simpson, who is helping coordinate logistics, said some of the stories Jock had told him had really hit a chord.

"What really struck me was what they are calling out for."

"They wanted shovels and wheelbarrows – because the local stores had been cleaned out."

"They wanted gloves, because their hands were red raw from digging."

"They want sanitary products because it's about to become a major issue."

"But [what] really struck home for me was that they wanted camping gear. And I thought cookers, tents and the likes – what do they want that for, but they've got nowhere to live. The motels are chocker."

"So that told me how serious this was."

A horse float of donated goods for Hawkes Bay arrives at the DairyTech South drop off point in Winton. Photo: Supplied

Simpson said some phenomenal things had already been donated.

“We had a horse float arrive yesterday… an equestrian Club have donated a phenomenal amount – blankets, pillows, gear for horses."

He said an Invercargill business had dropped some boxes of goods off with a label that simply read 'With Love From Southland'.

A ute full of gumboots arrive thanks to PowerNet. Photo: Supplied

And Jock arrived in with a ute full of gumboots, hi-vis vests and masks, thanks to PowerNet, he said.

“Southland people have been very, very generous,” Simpson said.

“I’m pretty proud to be a Southlander at the moment”.

Want to help? Here is what is needed.

• Non perishable food items, canned / long life 
• Camping items 
• Butane canisters
• Batteries C/D size and 9 volt 
• Solar showers
• Portable toilets 
• All types of Gloves 
• Shovels 
• Gumboots 
• Masks 
• High vis vests 
• Sun Screen 
• Toilet Paper
• Personal Sanitary items 
• Baby food 
• Milk Powder
• Pet Food 
• Sun Glasses 

Drop Off Points

• DairyTech South, Winton and Gore
• CW Telfer, Bond Street, Invercargill
• PGG Wrightson Ltd, Tuatapere
• PGG Wrightson Ltd, Otautau
• PGG Wrightson Ltd, Te Anau 
• Farmlands Mossburn

Listen to our interview with Jock Saunders - this Friday (3 Mar)