‘Her grandkids called her Granna’: Family pay tribute to Mount Maunganui landslide victim Susan Knowles

Saturday, 31 January 2026

Much-loved Rotorua woman Susan Doreen Knowles is being remembered as a mother, sister, aunty, grandmother, and loving wife, after she was formally identified as a victim in the Mount Maunganui landslide tragedy.

Detective Sergeant Brent Griffiths presented evidence regarding the identification process and Coroner Janet Anderson formally confirmed Knowles’ identity at a hearing at Tauranga Moana District Court on Saturday, saying her death was an “unimaginable tragedy”.

“Her grandkids called her Granna, she was a friend to many and loved by all,” Knowles’ family said on Saturday.

They said she would be “dearly missed” and highlighted the positive impact she had on others through her work as a property manager and through her hobbies.

“In many ways she was larger than life,” her family said.

“We like to refer to her as an active relaxer, somebody who was always on the go and looking for her next adventure.”

Knowles’ family acknowledged everyone who had reached out to them in their grief and sent special thanks to all those involved in the rescue and recovery.

“These men and women have turned up day in, day out and worked extremely hard to bring Sue back to us,” they said, noting their efforts “will have a lasting impact on our lives”.

“What the teams working on the ground are faced with, is by no means anybody’s day to day work, and we will forever be appreciative of everything they have done in these unprecedented circumstances,” they added.

Originally from Ngongotahā, Knowles worked as a property manager with Eves Real Estate and had been involved in management and property ownership since her early adulthood.

She was passionate about horse riding and was deeply devoted to her family. Friend Alison Holtom said Knowles was someone who stayed with you long after a conversation ended.

“Sue was just an absolute delight … beautiful smile. Just the loveliest lady, honestly just the loveliest… she always greeted everyone, ‘How are you, blossom?’ That’s what she always said.”

Knowles was camping with close friend Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler when they were both killed in the landslide, though Wheeler’s remains were yet to be formally identified.

Friends say the pair came to the campground every year.

“Sue and Jackie would stay here for about a month every year,” Holtom said. “They always rented a caravan. It was just their thing.”

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said the loss had been keenly felt across the community.

“They’re good friends of friends,” she said. “They are parents, they are grandparents, and we’re just absolutely devastated for their families and all the families involved.”

Knowles‘ formal identification comes after her remains were found on January 27 and hers is the fifth completed for the six victims of the Mount Maunganui campground landslide.

Lisa Maclennan, 50, from Morrinsville, Måns Bernhardsson, 20, from Sweden, Sharon Maccanico, 15, from Auckland and Max Furse-Kee, 15, from Auckland have all been formally identified.

Search and Rescue team leaves the scene

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said on Saturday that their Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team was in the process of demobilisation and had left the incident ground at Mount Maunganui.

Assistant National Commander David Guard acknowledged the “tireless” work of the USAR team and other specialist staff

'Our thoughts remain with the families who lost loved ones in this devastating event.I would also like to thank the community for their outpouring of support,“ Guard said, adding that partnering with police was ”instrumental“ in both the rescue and recovery phases of the operation.

Superintendent Tim Anderson said the recovery work at Mount Maunganui remains ongoing, despite USAR’s departure.

“While some teams have started to depart, all the required safety measures and equipment remain in place, to ensure the safety of all the teams who continue to work at the scene,” he said.

Recovery and identification a lengthy and complex task

Recovering and identifying the bodies of those lost under Mauao is being completed through the disaster victim identification process (DVI).

It can be a lengthy and complex task which can be impacted by the number of deceased and the nature and location of the death(s).

The Coroner’s Court said that correct identification was required for legal reasons, such as criminal proceedings and the administration of estates.

New Zealand follows Interpol’s four-step DVI process, which uses both post-mortem and ante-mortem data to help identify the deceased.