Earthquake today

Hi there

Goodness, there was an earthquake, 6.2, over the lower North Island this afternoon (Monday NZ time) at 3.50 p.m. and centred at ...wait for it! .... Eketahuna.   What a good thing I wasn't there and swimming in the river!   The Four Square (mini supermarket) in Eketahuna ,where I went last week to buy my light bulb, has had a lot of damage.  Photos of the shop's interior look like a bomb site. 

I hope Mt Bruce wildlife centre is okay, that the rare little white kiwis arent traumatised.

The thing is I didn't feel the earthquake today.  The tv is full of pictures of things falling off supermarket shelves, swimming pools overflowing, people running from buildings, ornaments toppling, and I was completely oblivious to the whole thing.  Some time this afternoon, I did hear a sort of something falling, but put it down to the wind.  Maybe that was the quake?

Have just heard from my swimming friend, J.  She was in the supermarket when the quake struck and was surrounded by objects crashing down from shelves.

Lots of reports are coming through about damage in Wellington, all minor, I think so far.  The Hobbit sculptured bird that Weta had suspended at Wellington Airport came down from its harness - see below photo taken from the stuff website. Some reporters have not been able to resist talking about "The Eagle Has Landed".  You may remember that I had taken a photo of the two birds flying high and put them on my blog a couple of weeks back.  It's the bird without Gandalf riding it that came down, the one that looks as if it's flying like an inch or so above the coffee cups in my photo - false perspective picture, the bird was really suspended close up high to the ceiling and was one ton huuuuuge)

Relaxing(?) after the Wellington earthquake

HI there

9 a.m. Monday.  I don't think many Wellingtonians would have got much sleep last night, worrying about when the next quake would strike.  There were hundreds of little quakes apparently that were too deep for most areas to feel.  Quakes seem to be radiating out further, to mid North Island  (even as far as Napier) and further down the South Island, with Cook Strait/Wellington in the middle getting the worst of it.  The main quakes have been centred just out of Seddon (near the top of the South Island).  Messages on television and over radio www.newstalkzb.co.nz have asked people not to go into the CBD today as the buildings have to be checked, and there are no trains operating.  The airport is back in operation.  There is lots of fallen masonry and cracks in buildings.   Thank heavens, I've had no damage in my house, not even a falling ornament.  The shaking and rumbling was horrific.  My neighbour rang me up, very frightened.

The Las Vegas Guardian newspaper (the one that broadcast last month that Mandela had passed away) put up a big headline about Seddon in AUSTRALIA having a 6.5 earthquake, and that it had reached Napier, also in Australia.  There is a Seddon in Australia but it didn't have a quake, and there is a Napier in Australia but it's thousands of kms away.   Fire the reporter......  Or better still, in a fortnight's time one angry kiwi will be hitting Las Vegas and she will be on the warpath.   Yes, it's me! 

I have to rush out today and make up my earthquake kit!  

It is awful, hunched under a table, and wildly thinking, "Will I die in this quake?"  Or ... "If I survive this quake, will I die in a follow-up one?"

10.50 a.m. Mond. ... Oh goodness, another little earthquake, 5.3 magnitude, just struck - I had to run to get under the table.

Third earthquake in Wellington

Hi there

A couple of hours ago there was a third earthquake in Wellington.  I was standing at the kitchen bench salting my steak.  I threw my salt cellar frantically in the air and ran to get under my dining room table, clutching at the legs.  The quake lasted 30 seconds and was the worst so far.  6.5 according to one tv station and 6.9 according to another.  There have been lots of little swarms over the last few days but I've only felt the three main ones.  Luckily not one ornament broke at my house, the cabinet didn't fall, no windows smashed in.  Phewww, safe.... for the moment.

The scary thing is that there will probably be more earthquakes. Wellington, I believe, is on the same fault line as San Francisco.  Our fault line goes right along The Terrace which is the street adjacent to Lambton Quay, Wellington's main city street.

Apparently in the city, about 7 km away, there has been falling masonry, cracked buildings, power outages, etc.  A hotel has sort of lost it's sixth floor.  Because it is dark now (6.30 pm Sunday, as I type this), much damage will not be discovered until tomorrow.

I did have an emergency stash of food and clothes, but I kept diving into the food when I was dieting - hunting for forbidden goodies - and I never replaced the stuff.   Now, I'm down to one tin of tuna in my stash.  I might have to make that one tin of tuna last up to a week if there's a major quake.   Note to self: get out tomorrow and refill earthquake box.

We have always been told that it's not a case of 'if' a major quake hits Wellington, but it is a case of 'when' one hits us..

You can probably find information on our quake at www.stuff.co.nz.

Third swim ... down! Second earthquake ... down!

This morning was our second (bigger) earthquake.  I rushed under the table again.  I must remember, to grab my glasses next time.  How awful it would be if the house tumbled down around me, and I couldn't see it!  Apparently, there have been a few little quakes since the bigger one the other day - and a few more after the one today, but I haven't felt them.

J and I have completed swim no 3 at Hataitai Beach for this month.  Yes-yes, it was cold and a watching bloke called us 'crazy'.  Still, that was a change from 'mad' which is the normal response.

Here's a painting J did some time ago of Hataitai Beach.