Covid, Carrington, tsunami: New Zealand's most popular Google searches in 2021

Tsunami evacuation information sign in Pilot Bay Mount Maunganui. Photo / George Novak

An eclectic mix of topics was on Kiwis' minds this year, Google data has revealed.

The data revealed the most Googled news term, New Zealander and phrase.

Unsuprisingly, Covid-19 was the most Googled phrase.

The most searched New Zealander was the Bay of Plenty's own Lisa Carrington.

Carrington, a world-renowned flatwater canoeist, said it was "a bit weird" to be the most-googled Kiwi in 2021, but also "pretty cool".

She became New Zealand's most decorated Olympian in 2021, winning three gold medals in Tokyo, adding to her existing two golds and one bronze.

Last Sunday was the first time Carrington had been home in Ōhope since the Olympics.

"It's good to be back," she said. "It's just a pretty special place."

Carrington grew up "right by the beach", and spent a lot of time in the water.

She now lives in Auckland, and describes the places as "two different worlds".

"I do like it up there, but it's really special when I get to come back here."

Carrington reacted to her status as most-googled Kiwi in her typically humble way.

"It's a bit weird. I wonder if people were like, 'who's that?' - that's probably why."

Carrington felt the importance of the Olympics was even greater in times of Covid-19 struggles.

Lisa Carrington passing Caitlin Ryan to win the Open Women's K1 500m National Title in 2020. Photo / Arthur Uden

Carrington said it was "pretty cool" to be New Zealand's most decorated Olympian.

"The amount of work that goes in, to have it pay off and have accolades at the end - not everyone gets that, so it's pretty special.

"You can plan and work as hard as you can, but you never know if it's actually going to work out. It's been many, many years in the making."

She thought her own most-Googled search for this year would probably be "locations of interest", having been locked down in Auckland for so long.

Otherwise, she thought it'd be recipes for sourdough or biscuits.

Carrington's 2022 is already looking bright, with her wedding to fiance Michael Buck scheduled for March in the Bay.

"We're excited. It's nice to bring everyone together after such a hectic time. It'll be a nice celebration."

Her puppy Colin was keen to get her attention during the interview, offering her his ball. Carrington said he was thrilled to be in Ōhope.

"He loves the beach. He's just living his best life."

Overall, New Zealand's most-searched phrase for 2021 was "Covid-19 NZ."

A Ministry of Health spokesperson said online Covid-19 misinformation could have a serious impact on public health.

"All New Zealanders have a responsibility to stop misinformation and conspiracy theories spreading."

They said the importance of "ensuring you have the right information about the Covid-19 vaccine can't be overemphasised".

Covid-19 was NZ's most Googled topic this year. Photo / George Novak

According to the ministry, reliable online Covid-19 information can be found on the Unite Against Covid-19 and Ministry of Health websites.

The ministry also recommends users report any Covid-19 misinformation, online or otherwise, to the Computer Emergency Response Team.

New Zealand's most-searched news term was "Tsunami Warning NZ".

The Tauranga City Council thought this was likely because of the March tsunami warning, after earthquakes off New Zealand required hundreds of people to evacuate coastal areas.

The council's manager of civil defence and emergency management Paula Naude said the warning "brought the risk of a tsunami to the forefront of the minds of many residents".

The council recently started a tsunami awareness campaign designed to help Bay of Plenty residents get prepared.

Naude said the best way to be prepared for a tsunami was by knowing the signs and having a plan.

Residents should evacuate immediately if there is an earthquake that lasts longer than a minute or makes it hard to stand up, without waiting for official alerts.

"Knowing the natural warning signs of a tsunami is your best defence," Naude said.

It was also crucial to have planned your evacuation route ahead of time.

Each house was also advised to have a "grab-and-go" bag with medicines, water, snacks, warm clothes, and any pet supplies.

Papamoa residents evacuating after a tsunami warning in March. Photo / George Novak

Lisa Glass, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's communications manager for emergency management, said people who evacuated in March had done the right thing.

"Knowing the potential tsunami inundation zones ahead of time is critical because you don't want to be trying to look that sort of thing up in a panic."

She said there was potential for people to find overseas information online that isn't relevant to New Zealand and get confused.

She said the best places to find reliable and relevant information about tsunamis were the National Emergency Management Agency website, local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group sites, and local council sites.

Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan said the popularity of the tsunami search wasn't surprising given March's events.

"It is natural, in these situations, to want to know what's going on", she said.

"It was gratifying that so many communities, including those in Bay of Plenty and East Cape, knew the right actions to take and self-evacuated during what we believe is New Zealand's largest mass evacuation in modern history."

She said the National Emergency Management Agency had published a post-event report which found the March response to be "efficient and effective".

Allan advised those going away on holiday to be informed about the evacuation zones in the area they were visiting.

"Make sure you know the natural warning signs of a local tsunami, as there may not be enough time for an official warning.

"Remember: if it's long or strong, get gone."