Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Friday 5 March 2021

The Early Morning Alarm went off at 2.27 a.m. N Z time

 This morning there have been a series of strong to severe earthquakes in the South Pacific Ocean area. The first one was 105 km off the northern East Coast,  7.1 in magnitude, and there were over 50,000 reports, from mild to severe. It was classed as severe. We heard the rumble, then the shaking, that seemed to go for nearly a minute. No damage for us. In other places shelves rattled and the bottles fell, pictures rattled, dogs sounded the alarm for their owners before the shaking began.

Then at 6.41 a.m. a second quake off Raoul Island, 7.4 in magnitude, and this was followed by a 8.1 quake at 8.28 a.m. near the Kermadec Islands,  The East Coast, coastline area that extended for many kilometres , part of the top West Coast coastline as well,  were in Tsunami alert, sirens blared and many hundreds of homes were evacuated as a precaution. Long lines of cars, as people went to an inland higher area.

Finally, after a few larger surge waves, and several hours,  the all clear let them return to home.


We live slightly below where the New Zealand map finishes, but friends further north were alerted and phone alarms went off frequently.

Raoul Island has no-one living there at the moment, and it is a base for a weather and radio station. The station has been empty since March 2020 ,and last week a Navy vessel was due to take a crew out, but this was cancelled because of the Covid 19 alert level changes in Auckland.

It is, from our home, according to Mr Google, 1346 km  from our home and 1100 km or 680 miles from our North Island.

In other news, I have finally had a pre surgery assessment, height, weight, blood pressure and so many health questions. The good news, I am so happy, cataract surgery will be on a Tuesday morning before the end of March. So I am watching the mail for a letter, or hoping the phone will ring very soon.My right eye, this time, and they cannot tell me when my left eye will have the same surgery.However, this is a start.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

" Head to the hills, this might save your life"

Greetings from Jean.