6.2-magnitude earthquake hits Wellington Region

The Wellington region and central New Zealand has been rocked by a strong magnitude 6.3 earthquake that shook buildings in the centre of the Capital.

The quake was centred near Eketahuna in Wairarapa, at a depth of 73km, just before 4pm (not off Castlepoint as thought initially).

It was felt as a long, rolling quake which lasted nearly a minute. The quake was followed by three aftershocks of magnitude 4.3, 4.2 and 4.6, around 20 to 30 kilometres deep.

Books tumble outside photo editor's office — Books tumble outside photo editor’s office

At Wellington Airport, a giant eagle hanging from the roof of Wellington Airport to promote the Hobbit trilogy has fallen because of the shock.

The National Radio programme was off air for several minutes because of the quake and train services were suspended until the railway tracks could be inspected and judged to be safe.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths in the quake.

But there are reports of rockfall in the Manawatau Gorge. TranzMetro has suspended all train services in the capital and is replacing them with buses.

Meanwhile, photos posted to Twitter show the eagle installed at Wellington Airport to promote The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug has fallen down.

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STORY OF THE WEEK

Kāpiti Coast councillors have toured of one of Aotearoa's unique buildings, the heritage - listed Rotunda at the former Otaki Health Camp, the country’s first.

Jeremy Smith reports that the 105-year-old, eight-sided rotunda predates the Health Camp.

It wasn't actually built in Otaki, but was one of two built in Rotorua in 1915 as part of a military hospital, on the site of Rotorua’s present public hospital.

Later they were taken to Otaki for the opening of the health camp in 1931.

Full story in the main column (December 19).

100 Years Ago — and the Maori Long March begins

Māori politics was dominated by the influential MPs (and sometime Cabinet ministers) Māui Pōmare ( Waitara statue photo above) and Apirana Ngata.

The 1920's also saw the rise of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana’s religious movement, and the emergence of Te Puea Hērangi in Waikato.

Ngata worked hard to foster Māori scholarship and education and preserve traditional arts and culture.

He convinced the government to establish a Board of Maori Ethnological Research (1923), a Maori Purposes Fund Control Board (1924) and a School of Maori Arts and Crafts in Rotorua (1927).

The Reform government also took the first, tentative steps towards settling longstanding Māori grievances.

Agreements with Te Arawa in 1922 and Ngāti Tūwharetoa in 1926 recognised their respective rights over the Rotorua lakes and Lake Taupō, and led to the establishment of trust boards with some government funding.

Commissions of inquiry which examined Ngāi Tahu grievances (1920–21) and the Waikato and Taranaki confiscations (1926–27) recommended that modest compensation be paid.

Kāpiti and Coast Independent

Quake Hits Region

6.2-magnitude earthquake hits Wellington Region