Shaken not Stirred

There really is no need to actually read the news these days. Not in depth anyway. Now all one has to do to remain in touch is simply to simply scan the messages that are automatically sent, pushed I believe they call it, conveniently to your handheld device or tablet. A few seconds and you're done. Up-to-date. Switched on.

But there is a problem. Relying on these messages alone, as is so easily to do, you can quickly get an idea of what's happened without actually bothering to find out what's really going on. But it's so gripping, addictive almost, as anyone who has felt the excitement of 'watching' a football match on the BBC's text updates will attest. And it's without fail the first thing I do in the morning; wake up, hold out an outstretched arm, pick up my phone and glance at the screen. What's happened in the rest of the world whilst I've been happily slumbering? What have I missed?

I don't know why I do it really. Looking back over the events of the past year it's been a grim way to wake up. Just off the top of my head; Bowie, Prince, Alan Rickman, Leonard Cohen and only just recently Robert Vaughan. Add to that, shootings, acts of terrorism, random violence and natural and unnatural disasters. I must stop doing this - it's no wonder I arrive in work in a foul mood. In fact it's only the calamities that were Brexit and the US election that had the decency to unfold during waking hours. At least then I only returned home in a foul mood, and there was the benefit of several bars between my desk and front door to knock off the edge....

It's not unusual, when glancing bleary-eyed at the phone's screen in the early morning, to be greeted with a message informing me that there's been an earthquake somewhere in New Zealand. It is, after all, not nicknamed the Shaky Isles for nothing. In fact it’s so common place, that I've gotten to the point where I don't even comment on it. Now I just acknowledge it and move on to something else. I accept that for those in more stable countries, geologically speaking anyway, that this nonchalant approach to seismic events might seem a little careless. Cavalier even. And maybe it is. I also accept that even the slightest New Zealand tremor would far surpass anything felt in the British Isles, result in trains being cancelled and questions being asked in the Houses of Parliament. Not to mention stiff letters being written to the editor of The Telegraph asking how can this sort of thing be allowed to happen.

It's just part of nearly-everyday life in this fascinating country. 

But this morning’s message was different. Something was seriously up. Not only were there multiple messages, one of them was from The Guardian. This one was so significant that the UK press had picked up the story. A quick tap of the screen confirmed that it was indeed a big one, 7.5 on the Richter Scale. The messages were soon followed by others confirming that after-shocks were continuing, some as large as 6.3.

At around 1am this morning a large seismic event had occurred in the South Island of New Zealand, around Kaikoura. It was so large that it was felt in the North Island as far away as Auckland. Not to make light of it, but Auckland? Really? Now I consider myself to be a light sleeper and I have to say that I did’t feel a thing. Not a murmur. Maybe some are just more sensitive than me or maybe hadn't had a bottle of wine a few hours ago. Either way, this was not your usual rumble and it had done some serious damage.

News was slowly trickling in to Radio NZ. Reports of damage to roads, rail lines, buildings, agricultural land soon made it abundantly clear this was a large shock. Wellington city centre had been evacuated for safety grounds whilst the buildings were inspected, roads and schools were closed and a state of emergency declared. This was serious.

In some ways it was a relief that it had happened during the early hours of the morning. If it had hit during the day, a time when people are travelling to work or tourists are heading along the coastal road, then we would surely be looking at more than two people dead. Yes it could've been a lot worse.

It has served as a reminder what a contradictory place New Zealand can be. In the most part, beautiful, serene and laid back but unpredictable and without a moment's notice can bare it's teeth and try to tear itself apart at the seams. I'm thankful that as I am writing this the sun has set and the surrounding land plunged into darkness. The lights of Auckland look beautiful but I know that just across the harbour is a relatively recent reminder of the power of nature. Rangitoto is just one of 53 volcanoes in the currently dormant Auckland volcano field. Dormant but not extinct. And overdue, in geological terms anyway. Some time in the next hundred to couple of thousand years. A blink of an eye so to speak.

If think from now on, I'll leave looking at my phone screen until I have had at least my first sip of coffee. I'll be much better equiped to handle bad news. It's either that, or ignore the news and live in blissful ignorance. Actually, on reflection as I stare out into the darkness of the Hauraki Gulf maybe that isn't such a bad idea after all.....

"I think I've found the problem!"

Definitely worse than leaves on the track

"We're going to need a bigger shovel"