Disaster a trip back in time
ensure the immediate safety of those closest to them. But when the sun finally rose on Monday, after harrowing hours punctuated by aftershocks on that picturesque stretch of the South Island’s east coast, residents and business owners, not to mention hundreds of tourists, would have learned quickly that the town was cut off from the outside world.
It’s not a scenario that instantly conjures up a sense of dread, necessarily, but it wouldn’t have taken too long for locals and visitors to realise the difficult situation they faced. Of course, it’s different for each person affected. Among residents, those with the foresight to have put together emergency kits would likely have felt a little calmer than those not similarly prepared. However, as the town’s isolation drags on - crews are working frantically to have the inland route between Culverden and Kaikoura reopened - any initial calm will quickly dissolve.
For businesses, the concerns would have been immediate. How would supermarkets restock their shelves with supply routes blocked? How would tourism-focused businesses cope without the normal stream of arriving tourists. With State Highway 1 set to be out of action for months, how will they get through that period?
For stranded tourists, especially those with flights out of New Zealand looming, the situation would have been tough too. In short, it’s a graphic demonstration of what happens when some of the abilities we take for granted - like freedom of movement are removed.
It won’t be a comfort to the battered people of Kaikoura right now, but this disaster will probably go some way to demonstrating the fragility of our country’s transport and supply routes and hopefully ensure they are reopened better able to withstand the forces generated by a significant quake.
It may also demonstrate what an advantage a coastal shipping network able to transport supplies between ports within New Zealand, as was the case decades ago, may have been now. As far as reinstating such a service goes, though, that ship has probably sailed.
Difficult months, and years, lie ahead. Hopefully the response will meet the needs of all affected in a timely fashion, and provide valuable lessons for the future.