The day the boat rocked...

Many of us would have been told the story of Maui and his brothers and how the land of New Zealand was formed.  Maori legend has it that Maui stowed away on his brother's fishing boat, and when they discovered him he managed to convince them to row out to the deepest part of the ocean where he cast his line with a fish hook made from his Grandmother's jaw.  He hauled up his catch which is now known as the North Island or Te Ika-a-Maui (the fish of Maui). The boat from which they fished is known as the South Island.



Yesterday the South Island was rocked by a massive 7.1 earthquake.  Christchurch was the closest city to the epicentre and a civil emergency was declared.  The devastation is catastrophic - it is so surreal and I think the fact that we are miles away in Auckland makes it seem a bit like a movie.

Image:  Guardian

Image: LA Times

Image: Telegraph

This was big but scientists are saying this isn't the big earthquake they were predicting - scary!  Last night I was woken by a tap, tap, tap - I panicked thinking it was someone at the door so I looked outside.  There was nobody but I couldn't shake that panicked feeling.  I mentioned it while I was speaking to Mum on the phone this morning and she said her bed 'rolled' gently in the night.  Her bed is solid wood - to move it you have to unscrew it all first.  It's impossible to move it as it is.  Then I thought back to Saturday.  I was sitting on the couch watching TV One's running news broadcast and I could have sworn I felt two very subtle 'rolls'. Was I imagining it or could Auckland be feeling the tail end of the aftershocks?

My thoughts are with everyone affected by this earthquake and I hope that life can return to normal as soon as possible.  I know quite a few bloggers who have been affected by this and they all have varying accounts.  Some have little damage, others have a lot.