Hello again, we wanted to give another check in before we leave for the South Island and to reassure friends and family post-earthquake that we are in fact safe and sound. It has been just about 48 hours since the latest aftershock earthquake in Christchurch. Not sure how they are reporting the earthquake internationally but this was in fact an aftershock from the September 7.1 earthquake. However, this time the earthquake was extremely shallow and struck mid-day; therefore the damage has been incredible and the loss of life is yet to be fully understood. In the first 36 hours after this 6.1 earthquake there were over 117 aftershocks over 3.0 and all were quite shallow and nerve-wracking for those survivors and rescuers. There continues to be threats of building collapses in the central business district of Christchurch thus the rescue efforts are precarious at best. All in all it really is a tragedy for this tiny country. There have been larger earthquakes in this world within the last couple of years with loss of life beyond imagination but we have never been so close to this type of disaster, so the images and reports from the media and friends are quite scary. We would ask that you keep this country and its people in your thoughts as so many are experiencing loss in many ways and so many are still missing.
We will be leaving for the South Island on Sunday morning, stopping over in Wellington for the night before taking the ferry across the Cook Straits. We will be making a loop around the island in a clockwise manner and will be passing by Christchurch due to few options in terms of roads in NZ; however we have no plans at this point to stop in. They are asking people not involved in the rescue operation to avoid the city due to lack to resources and the desire to avoid any other unnecessary rescues. We will be meeting up with Kevin’s NZ professor, David Hamilton and his lab manager, Chris McBride, to do a little sampling of some the glacial lakes on the back side of the Southern Alps from Wednesday through Sunday. We should be journeying back across the Cook Straits around 15-16 March. Our internet access will be extremely limited during our South Island travels due to lots of camping and the high cost of internet at hostels but we will try to check in here or on Facebook at least once.
It is extremely bittersweet to think that we have just under one month left in this country. We have met some great people, made some amazing friendships, and seen places that have taken our breath away. This trip has been a real blessing and the memories will bring smiles to our faces forever. We land back in lovely Newark, NJ on 23 March. There is a lot of change in the coming months with graduation, moves, and new jobs. We can’t wait to catch up with all of you!
Love and hugs,
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