Reader's Digest

July• 2018 | 49

READER’S DIGEST

August 16 2013. At 6.6 magnitude it
causedlandslipsthatblockedroads
and damaged buildings.
But life continued with occasional
reminders that we live in the shaky
isles. One aftershock happened when
I was showering; the door jumped
its track and jammed. I was stuck for
some time until another shock to
dislodged it so I could
escape.Inow‘speed-
shower’ and sleep in a
tracksuit with sturdy
shoes and torch nearby.
hen on November 14
2016 just after mid-
night our region was
racked by a 7.8 magni-
tude quake changing
the area in dramatic
ways. he force shunted parts of our
island ive metres closer to the North
Island. A tangled skein of 21 faults one
of them previously unknown had rup-
tured across two active domains. In
two long minutes the quake travelled
180 kilometres causing 12 metres of
horizontal displacement. Parts of the
east coast around Kaikoura rose over
two metres exposing water-dwelling
paua and crayish. Water was sucked

back in the dreaded tsunami warning;

at Goose Bay the tsunami tide run-up

reached seven metres.

AnhourafterthisdramaIwas

cleaning up breakages when my

sondroveupwithhiswifeandtwo

frightenedchildreninthecar.hey

were heading for higher ground as

tsunami clarions sounded. He urged

me to also leave but I

chose to stay with my

traumatised animals.

Itwasalongdarkand

terrifying night but

eventuallyitpassed.

Everyone who has

lived through such tu-

multuous events has a

unique story. Mine is

atumbleofgriefand

loss of my husband home farm

treasures and destruction of my

safe places.

The aftershocks continue and in

the18monthsuptoMay2018there

have been 22552 aftershocks. hose

of us who live here accept that we are

betweengrindingtectonicplatesso

we need to adjust to the restless

earth learning to work with Nature

not ight against her.

HEAR HERE

One of the simplest paths to change is for the less poweful

to speak as much as they listen and for the more powerful

to listen as much as they speak.

GLORIA STEINEM

he force shunted

partsofour

island ive metres

closertothe

North Island