Earthquake

I woke up this morning to find several messages asking if we were alright. I was perplexed. Then, of course, I found out about the huge earthquake that had occurred, here on South Island. It was centred on Hanmer Springs, where we had stayed just a couple of days ago.  The town of Koukaria, where we had gone for whale watching, is totally cut off as highway 1 - the only road in and out - is completely blocked. Around 2,000 residents have no water, sewage, communications or way out. It is desperate for them. A road tunnel that runs right along the shoreline, that we had driven through, is blocked by a huge land slip. 

It has been the third strongest earthquake to hit this geologically turbulent country in the last 100 years. Already today, there have been over 250 after shocks, many of them substantial. 

Our hotel in Nelson was evacuated in the night, and as far north as Wellington, there is substantial damage. We were in Franz Josef, south of the epicentre, in an earthquake proof hotel when the quake struck shortly after midnight. The people in our group who were awake, gave a dramatic descriptions of their whole room shaking for 6 minutes - timed by Doc and Charlie. Your correspondent and her spouse, must have just felt as if the cradle was rocking, as neither woke. 

To add to the misery of the situation the north if the south finds itself in, extreme weather is predicted for the next 4-5 days with gale force winds. Our hearts go out to them. We are even further south now, away from the damaged area, in Arrowtown, near Queenstown. However, next week, we are going back up the eastern coast to Christchurch.