31/7/2013

(My Mission To Find A Job In NZ & Get A Work Visa)

For years New Zealand has been known as ‘the shaky isles’ due to its seismic activity. The country sits astride two tectonic plates: the Australian and the Pacific plates and there are fault lines running the whole length of the country. We all heard about the big earthquakes in Christchurch in September 2010 and February 2011 but in the last week there has been more big seismic activity near Seddon, in the Marlborough region, at the top of the South Island. I’m going to New Zealand to find a job and get a work visa and have decided to base myself in Wellington. The quakes that hit the area on Friday 19^th July were felt in Wellington too. “You’re going to a place where there’s a high chance of earthquakes. Are you mad?” some people say to me.

The first earthquake of magnitude 5.7 began on Friday morning about 30km east of Seddon, offshore in the Cook Strait, just after 9.00am. (Have a look at the Google map at the top of this post to see the location of Seddon). The area was shaken again by earthquakes on Sunday 21^st July, the most significant of them being of magnitude 5.8, at 7.17am and one of 6.5 magnitude at 5.09pm. Aftershocks have been felt in the Marlborough area and also in Wellington. Luckily there hasn’t been any loss of life or too much structural damage.

GNS Science, New Zealand’s leading provider of Earth, geoscience and isotope research and consultancy services monitor the earthquakes and active faults in the country. They believe the Cook Strait earthquakes have struck on a previously-unknown offshore extension of the London Hills Fault. GNS can’t predict when the aftershocks will die away completely. I’ve been checking their website, www.geonet.org.nz and it’s shown that over the past week the Seddon area have had a good few strong aftershocks around the 4.7 magnitude or so. Apparently the shallower the earthquake is, the stronger it’s felt. These recent quakes have been at a depth of between 17km and 19km under the ground, so quite shallow.

I’m fascinated by earthquakes and volcanoes and love to read about how they’re formed, the different types of seismic waves and how they affect the ground surface etcetera. I have experienced one or two small quakes in Christchurch and Wellington when I was there last year. Would the possibility of more earthquakes there put me off going? No. I’m willing to take the risk. I don’t know what I would do if there was a big one in Wellington while I’m there. It would be scary I’m sure but I’ll ask people when I get out there what’s the best thing to do in situations like that and hope for the best.