EARTHQUAKE UPDATE FAQs 3 March 2017 Answers compiled by Neil, Manakau Lodge and Lynda Keene (recent visitor to Kaikoura, Feb 2017)

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1 EARTHQUAKE UPDATE FAQs 3 March 2017 Answers compiled by Neil, Manakau Lodge and Lynda Keene (recent visitor to Kaikoura, Feb 2017) If you are planning a visit to Kaikoura, or if you have already booked to visit us this summer and you have any concerns at all about what to expect following last year s widely-reported earthquake, please have a read through these FAQs. Insights travelling to/from Kaikoura (visit on 20 February 2017 by Lynda Keene) I ve always thought Kaikoura was one of the jewels in the South Island s treasure chest of gemstones and my recent visit just confirmed that and more. The raised seabeds with the mountain range and ocean as the backdrop to any photo just makes Kaikoura a photographers heaven! Prior to the earthquake, all rocks were under water at high tide. The old high tide is the old low tide x 2. The rockpools at Point Kean seal colony go for almost a kilometre at low tide. Any chalky white coloured rocks now get no water cover and any green algae/dark rock colour you see is the new high tide. You can easily spend more than an hour down on the rocks walking around in awe taking photos. It s worth it!

2 Other Insights: TIP: Travelling to speed limits and road conditions will help you enjoy your drive south. Travelling from Nelson-Murchison-Lewis Pass-Hanmer Springs-Culverden to SH1 was absolutely fine. If you re used to North Island traffic flows there s no difference. Traffic flowed well between km with no-one doing anything too crazy and the amount of trucks on the road didn t phase me (originally coming from the North Island). I didn t travel the Picton-St Arnaud part of the alternative south highway but could imagine this traffic would be heavier and travelling at a slower pace until they get to the Kawatiri Junction. TIP: Plan ahead for food stops. I seemed to arrive at Springs Junction around 11.30am-12noon both ways and it was pretty busy but still okay to get food and refreshments. Other food stops include St Arnaud, Murchison, Maruia Hot Springs, Hanmer Springs, Culverden and if on Inland Route 70, Waiai. NZTA road signage was excellent. A number of previous 100km zones are now at 80km zones. Travelling from SH1 (where Waipara hits SH1) to Kaikoura there was light traffic. You don t notice any changes in the road until you get just before the Hundalee Hills where there was a short detour before driving over the hills. You do see a couple of waves in the road and notice the bendy road barriers. From the Hundalee Hills you drop down onto the SH1 coast road and as you make your way to Kaikoura there are numerous sets of road works, hill strengthening sections and new walls constructed. A very interesting drive with a couple of traffic light and stop/go sections. If you didn t know the area had had an earthquake, you d just think, Gosh, lots of roadworks going on here. If travelling direct from Christchurch or Waipara allow extra 20 minutes for slower driving along the coastal road. Road crews have done a fantastic job making repairs. Coming into the township, it looks pretty much business as usual. There s a couple of retail outlets with scaffolding and support beams and a few motels where you can see the effects. But generally, the town is in good shape. SH1 North of Kaikoura is closed off after about 12kms. Barriers will prevent any further travel. Travelling from Kaikoura via the Inland Route 70 road towards Waiau and Hanmer Springs was fine. First 40 minutes towards Waiau no noticeable difference except for a few edges of the road where the edge has dropped away. There s a number of road work sections (maybe 8) where you may have a few wait times while road crews are working. Important to drive slowly and to the speed limit where signage is indicated. There were a number of campervan/motorhome and rental cars driving north in my line of traffic who seemed to handle the conditions well. The community seems quite buoyant but also realistic about the visitor season and approaching winter months. Now is the time everyone is planning for the new season and all agencies are pulling out all the stops to ensure when October approaches, roads, accessibility, marina, accommodation and all activity/attractions are back in action. One of the areas that have been cleared SH1 South of Kaikoura. Workers above tunnel area clearing loose rocks and a new wall constructed after road has been cleared.

3 These rocks on the roadside (oceanside) have been cleared by tunnel area as shown above. Another corner cleared on SH1 South (Photos: L Keene, Feb 2017) How is life in Kaikoura following the earthquake? We re doing fine, thank you! We have had tremendous help and support from all over the world and people have been working very hard to help us get back on our feet as quickly as possible, life in our community is pretty much back to normal. Our shops and businesses are open, people are going about their daily lives, and with summer here, we are welcoming international in ever greater numbers. LK, it was great to see so many visitors in the area. How does the town look? I heard it was a bit of a mess! No, it s really fine. Some of our older buildings have been damaged, but most have not, and there is very little sign of any damage in the town. Our infrastructure is all functioning perfectly well and you d hardly know we d been through a big one! Some of our local roads have had temporary repairs carried out, so there are a few uneven patches where holes have been filled with gravel, but that s about all there is to be concerned about. LK, agree. Is it safe to visit? We have earthquakes all the time in New Zealand! They are a feature of life. Fortunately, the big and powerful ones which make the news don t come around too often. It s highly unlikely there will be a repeat of last year s shake. There might be the occasional rumble underground from time to time, but that s normal and it s the same anywhere in the country. Most of the time we don t even notice them. So yes, it s perfectly safe to visit. We wouldn t encourage you to do so if it wasn t. LK, this is true, NZ does get regular shakes but only once in a blue moon is there a significant shake with impact. I heard it s difficult to reach Kaikoura? Is this true? It was for a few weeks, but not any more! For drivers, State Highway 70 - what we call the inland road - is open to traffic 24/7. This is a beautiful scenic drive and the one to enjoy when coming to us from the West Coast, Nelson Lakes, Abel Tasman National Park, and Blenheim, via Nelson Lakes National Park. It takes longer than the coastal road, but you ll

4 forget the time long before you forget the views. LK, the drive is stunning! TIP: Plan ahead for food stops. Pack a picnic lunch or aim for St Arnaud, Murchison, Springs Junction, Maruia Hot Springs or Hanmer Springs for some real R & R along the way. State Highway 1 to the south of Kaikoura is also open from 6.00am to 8.00pm, for a direct route to and from Christchurch. At the moment there are still some night time restrictions on this highway while repair works continue. So just allow a little longer for your journey and aim to arrive in Kaikoura before nightfall. You don t have to drive. InterCity Group, Kiwi Experience and Hasselfree Tours are running a daily bus service from Christchurch to Kaikoura and return. The journey time is around 2 hours 40 minutes. You can book your ticket at the Kaikoura i-site or visit of the i-site Facebook page. State Highway 1 to the north of Kaikoura remains closed for this summer, whilst repairs are carried out. So please plan your alternative route to us and allow enough to time to drive safely, and to take in the South Island scenery as you travel. What s the situation with accommodation? All but a few accommodation providers are open (83%) and operating perfectly normally. We have a wide range of campgrounds, holiday parks, motels, hotels, apartments, B&Bs, lodges and homestays from which to choose. If you are already booked in somewhere, it s probably not a bad idea to drop them a line to confirm your reservation. If you are looking for somewhere to stay, we can help! Many properties have more rooms available than normal for the time of year, but not all of them are necessarily listed on internet booking sites, so contact us with your enquiry and we d be happy to make the booking for you. LK, accommodators keen to host visitors. Are the restaurants and shops all open? Mostly, yes (88%). One or two have had to close temporarily, some shops have already relocated to new premises while the old one gets fixed up, and one or two buildings are going to make way for new ones. But it s business as usual for most of our cafés, bars, restaurants and takeaways, and we ve even got a new restaurant in town this summer. You will be made to feel very welcome when you visit them. LK, town is buzzing and don t forget to pop into the Kaikoura i-site and new Kaikoura Museum on the bottom level of new Council building the that has the ribs of a whale, wooden curved exterior. OK, so what s happening with Whale Watch? Whale Watch Kaikoura are back out on the water! They are operating a reduced schedule (2-3 times per day) while repair work is carried out in the marina, but subject to weather and sea conditions, Whale Watch is out every day, and guests are having a great time seeing the unique marine life which makes Kaikoura such a special place to visit. LK, the marine is as amazing as ever and TIP is to make sure you book in advance.

5 Are the whale watching flights still operating? Yes, they are! We have two fixed wing aircraft operators and two helicopter flyers, who will take you over the ocean to see whales and dolphins, and also a fly-past of the new-look landscape a little further up the coast and in the mountains. They are all awesome experiences, and even more interesting now, with a new story to tell. LK, absolutely and for a different perspective to see the new raised seabeds, worth a trip. And the other marine attractions, are they open? All our marine excursions are up and running. The ever-popular Dolphin Encounter and Albatross Encounter trips are now operating daily with a slightly reduced daily schedule, and are as memorable as ever. Also, the popular Seal Swim and Kayaking tours are running normally. For the scientifically curious, we have some new natural attractions in South Bay! A guided kayak trip will let you see them up close! LK, these trips are very popular and you can also SUP (stand-up paddleboard around South Bay areas). How are the walking tracks? Did they get damaged? Our most popular walking track for visitors is the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway. Offering spectacular views in all directions and a large fur seal colony on the beach, the Peninsula track is open to everyone and easily accessible. No serious damage, no problem. LK, the new views (vista) are absolutely amazing and a photographers paradise! I walked the track 3 times in 2 days to include high tide, low tide and mid tide to take photos. Totally amazing! What else is there to do in Kaikoura? We have a brand new museum, just opened! It s the newest museum in New Zealand, and among the best. And we already have some new history to add to it! It s well worth a visit, and a great way to spend an afternoon. LK very cool! Other walking tracks around Mount Fyffe, the Puhi Puhi Valley and Ocean Ridge are all waiting to be explored. Snorkelling, diving, surfing, golf, llama trekking sheep shearing, farm tours and other visitor attractions are all open. We ll help you with any activities you want more information on, or want to book. Where can I get more information if I need it? If you are on Facebook, you can look us up here. We regularly post news updates about what s happening around town on the Kaikoura i-site page, and share information that comes our way. If not, please get in touch with us by or just give us a call on +64 (0) If you are in town, you can pop in to see us. We are located in the town centre opposite the new civic centre building. You can t miss it!