The tornado had taken a narrow path through the town, she said.

"We are only a street over from where it happened, and there was no wind at our place. We have a trampoline and it was not touched."

High winds had lifted roofs of houses in the town before, but never anything like this, she said.

"It is an unbelievable experience."

Matamata resident Ben Furness arrived home from work to find his fence, and four doors and part of the roof had been ripped off his garage and workshop.

The mini-tornado tore through Ben Furness' shed and ripped down his shed. Photo / Ben Furness
The mini-tornado tore through Ben Furness' shed and ripped down his shed. Photo / Ben Furness

It wasn't until he reviewed his security camera footage that he realised what had happened.

"You can't move that stuff by hand. I have never seen anything like that before."

Elsewhere the mini-tornado had damaged sheds, lifted roofs and brought down trees and power lines.