[Sam'n'Kelv]

We are considering moving to the South Island and was tempted by Nelson, but read somewhere that it is bang on the ALPINE FAULT which is scheduled for a 8+ earthquake any time over the next decade or so. Obviously this is a slight worry - actually our 8 year old is terrified by the idea and actually has become a bit frightened of moving to NZ altogether!!

Obviously, there is always a threat of earthquake in NZ, but I guess it would be sensible to avoid high risk areas. Can anyone advise where might be a relatively safe place.

Yours wimpishly.
Samantha and Kelvin
Moving across August 2007

[Trigirl]

There is no such thing as an earthquake free zone in NZ. However, everything we saw while we were there gave the impression that its just seen as a bit of a fact of life in NZ. There are earthquakes there every week and ones you can feel every couple of weeks. www.geonet.org.nz will give you info on the latest quakes and on the status of the active volcanoes.

[Trigirl]

by the way - i'm not sure where you got the thing about a >8 earthquake in the next 10 years from but that sounds very high. these things are obviously only probabilities but recent research has put the chances of a major quake in the wellington area at 10% in the next 50 years.

[Trigirl]

looking at the same research it seems to say 50% in the next 20 years for the alpine fault

One of the more significant hazard scenarios is a major earthquake on either the South Island Alpine or Wellington faults. One regional study on Wellington gives the estimated impact as 657 fatalities for a daytime event, with 137 if at night, and the Earthquake Commission
estimates its claims settlements for residential homes alone following a large earthquake would total up to NZ$6.8 billion.
MCDEM has published the approximate probabilities of some hazards occurring. There is a:
10% chance of a major earthquake in Wellington in the next 50 years
50% chance of a major earthquake on the Alpine Fault in the next 20 years
10% chance of a major volcanic eruption affecting Auckland in the next 50 years.

[StevieD]

Guess it is just a fact of life if you move there. Talking to friends who do already live there, it is just an everyday occurrence that you don't really take much notice of, unless, as you say, it is one of the biggies in which case it would be pretty hard no to take notice!!

[Sam'n'Kelv]

From the NZ Herald: 'A 60 per cent chance of the Alpine fault rupturing in the next 30 years had been estimated. This could generate a Richter 8 scale quake'.

[Trigirl]

60% in the next 30 years - 50% in the next 20 years - sounds about right.

The good news is that the kiwis are very organised about it. Civil defence planning is pretty major. People keep bottled water, tinned foods, earthquake "kits" etc.

[kiwidebs]

60% in the next 30 years - 50% in the next 20 years - sounds about right.

The good news is that the kiwis are very organised about it. Civil defence planning is pretty major. People keep bottled water, tinned foods, earthquake "kits" etc.

Some people do. I know Smiler has a good kit sorted out. Note to self:must get that civil defence emergency kit sorted :exit .

Debs

[Trigirl]

debs - the people we stayed with in wellington were super organised. mind you having seen theor house perched on the side of the hill i think it might be perched at the bottom after a major quake!

sam n kelv - i found this - hope it helps
http://tinyurl.com/26osjp

[Anita & Marco]

The good news is that the kiwis are very organised about it. Civil defence planning is pretty major. People keep bottled water, tinned foods, earthquake "kits" etc.[/QUOTE]

There is something just not right in the first sentence:
"Kiwis very organised" that is a contradictio in terminis !!
The kiwis are very unorganised by nature and ask around at neighbours, friends and colleagues whether they have any 'emergency kits' and you will be surprised. The people who are most organised are the new immigrants in my opinion.
We just adapt the kiwi attitude - when the big bang comes, what are you going to do with all that water and the emergency kit which will be burried under your collapsed house?

Anita

[Trigirl]

well i've got no idea what new immigrants do as the only ones i know are on here. these guys are kiwis born and bred!

[veronica]

The whole worry about natural catastrophes is a bit of a laugh, there was a long thread on this a while back. To put it in perspective look at the number of deaths by traffic accident and man made disasters, and also look at this link. http://www.essexwt.org.uk/Geology/earthquake.htm

Common sense says you should have a 'disaster pack' organised, wherever you are, every winter we had one in the UK as our village was prone to being cut off if we had heavy snow and 'powerless' very often if it was windy.

[Moorf]

Earthquakes - another good reason for steel rooves :D

None of our Kiwi neighbours have emergency kits and when I told them of our extensive collection they wet themselves laughing :roll

What harm can having a few necessities tucked away in the garage - better than nothing.....

We all have civil defence instructions that are updated yearly by the local defence team including muster points etc.

I've only felt one since being here and that was 2 yrs ago - they seem much more frequent (or perhaps detectable) in the N.Island. I've felt more on trips to Greece!

[Trigirl]

i guess maybe if you lived in more of an earthquake zone (wellington?) the locals might do more? we felt one in our 2 week recce and the guys we stayed with said they felt one fairly regularly.

btw - i was laughing so much at work today reading brit in the boonies - good thing i'm leaving in 2 weeks!

[scotia]

On holiday in 2000 around the Havelock South area in the south island, my husband and I were woken up at 6.00am with the motel shaking like crazy. Transpired that an underwater quake registering 5.6 had occured just 30 miles off the coast. We were on honeymoon at the time and were truly able to say that the earth moved for us! No damage but when we move there for good in Feb, I will certainly be thinking of having a small pack with common sense things ie torch, water etc........... just in case!
Cheers
Scotia