We have seen photos of the uplifted seabed and the exposed marine life; many of us were in awe of the huge rescue and relocation of paua (and dismayed by MPI's attempt to stop it). Bubbles rising and the associated smell of sulphur mean there is a marvellous new feature, in the coastal waters.
The catastrophic damage to infrastructure will take years to repair. Thankfully, the Government has decided the mangled Main Trunk line will be restored.
Mainstream media have reported some of the damage, a few of the stories, and the new fast-tracked legislation to allow work to be carried out.
A collaborative effort across the Community Recycling Network is dealing with building debris in accordance with Kaikoura's zero waste goals.
The seal colony will survive but what will happen to the nationally endangered Hutton's shearwater/ Kaikoura titi? Breeding was in full swing at the time of the quake.
The good news is that the infrastructure and birds at the Te Rae o Atiu colony on the Kaikoura Peninsula appear to have escaped unscathed.
Birding NZ reported a banded dotterel nest was lost by the tsunami that followed the big quake but other birds survived. The penguin colony at South Bay lost one nest box with chicks.
Then there's the controversial issue of where to dump natural debris from slips. The Green Party don't want it disrupting marine life. It will be expensive to truck it to inland sites. Could it be stockpiled and used to plug fissures on farms?
Hurunui District and Kaikoura District desperately need tourists to get their economies going again. Will these regions be part of your next holiday in the South Island?
Margi Keys is a member of Sustainable Whanganui Trust, Bushy Park Trust, Tongariro Natural History Society, Forest & Bird and the Green Party. She offers Bush Walk & Talk, a series of short guided walks in and around Whanganui, through Community Education Whanganui.
