The Amphitheatre and Back Peak

I am not sorry that I can't show you pictures of earthquake damage. That can be left to the Blippers who are in the places where the damage is. Instead, here is another result of earthquakes over a very long period. Mount Torlesse, along with the rest of the Southern Alps has been formed by earthquakes, as the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates meet. The plates are passing each other and pushing together at the same time. The compression caused by this movement has raised the mountains.

As each day passes news of the devastation seems to get worse. In our area I think we were protected by the firm base of clay and shingle that has been laid down over the millennia by the action of wind and water. It's the old brick and stone buildings that have suffered. A few kilometres from here the big brick homestead of Canterbury's founding family has been destroyed.

Today has been warm, until the southerly arrived. I'm hoping it will remain quiet. Friday we had a snowstorm, Saturday the earthquake, and last night a nor'wester that was particularly fierce, very loud and shaking the house in a more familiar way. The power went out again so once again I didn't get to see your blips or to thank you all for your concern. Now I am very tired and I may not be able to comment, even if the power stays on.