New Zealand is dangerously beautiful with its active volcanoes, reoccurring earthquakes, strong sunshine and its location in the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire” and “Roaring Forties” of the Southern hemisphere.
For the past month I’ve been admiring the beautiful landscapes surrounding me during my journey throughout New Zealand. I have climbed up numerous mountains including Mount Eden and One Tree Hill, in Auckland. During the Tongariro crossing (considered one of the best one-day hikes in New Zealand), I marvelled at Mounts Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu that towered beside me. Furthermore, in Rotorua, I captured some great photographs of the geysers at Te Puia, cycled past boiling mud pools along the Te Aha Ari mountain bike trail and swam in some hot pools near Kerosene Creek. In Taupo, I had my first sky diving experience over Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand and which situated in the collapsed crater of the Taupo volcano.
Volcanoes
Mountains, geysers, and mud pools are the result of geothermal and volcanic activity. In fact, New Zealand currently has four active volcanoes: Ruapehu, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and White Island. A scare occurred in 2012 at the Tongariro crossing when Mount Tongariro had a five minute, level 2 minor eruption, requiring 50 people to be evacuated from the track. Many dormant and extinct volcanoes also cover the landscape of New Zealand, which can explain the numerous mountains. There are a total of 53 volcanoes in Auckland alone! Mount Eden and One Tree Hill, which I climbed, are two of them.
Earthquakes
Let’s talk about earthquakes. Every year, GNS (Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences) records over 15 000 earthquakes in New Zealand! This large number includes earthquakes that are magnitude 1.5 or greater, so not all of them cause outstanding physical damage. The most recent earthquake with significant repercussions in New Zealand was on November 14th, 2016, in Kaikoura. The 7.8 magnitude shake killed two people while 57 others were injured. Insurance claims totaled approximately 1.8 billion dollars. Earthquakes are so common in New Zealand because the country is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the junction of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. When these plates slide above, beneath or alongside each other, the ground vibrates. The Pacific Ring of Fire is the most seismically active zone on the planet; 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur here.
Roaring Forties
On top of being located along the Pacific Ring of Fire and having four active volcanoes, New Zealand is located in the “roaring forties”, which is the area of high westerly (west to east) winds that develop between 40 and 50 degrees in latitude in the Southern Hemisphere. The wind is created by hot air at the equator that is travelling towards the colder poles. Winds are not as strong at the same latitudes in the Northern hemisphere because there are large landmasses (like Europe and Canada) that slow the speed of the wind. In contrast, winds coming from the West in New Zealand will travel freely over the ocean for approximately 10 000 km, gaining speed. These strong winds put New Zealand at risk of extreme storm events, such as heavy rainfall, tornadoes or cyclones.
Ozone
New Zealand has the highest incidence rate of melanoma skin cancer in the world. During its orbit around the Sun, planet Earth passes closest to the Sun during the months of December and January. This overlaps with New Zealand’s summer and with the time of year that ozone-depleted air from Antarctica moves over New Zealand. This means that instead of being deflected by the ozone layer in the stratosphere, larger amounts of harmful ultraviolet radiation is reaching the Earth’s surface and people’s skin.
But it’s Beautiful…
But all these “dangers” are what make New Zealand beautiful. The wondrous mud pools, geysers and hot water pools would be non-existent if it weren’t for the volcanic activity… The mountains created by earthquakes and dormant volcanoes make for exciting mountain biking trails and hikes, such as the Tongariro Crossing.
And these natural landscapes are what make the people of New Zealand who they are. Canadians are known for their maple syrup and ice hockey because they live in a land that has sugar maple trees with the appropriate temperature gradients to harvest maple sap. Moreover, the lakes freeze over in the winter, which is ideal for outdoor hockey pick-up games. In New Zealand, the natural landscape filled with mountains for hiking, biking and canyoning, the hot water pools, the lakes and the proximity to the sea can potentially explain why Kiwis are known for their outdoor lifestyle. Nowhere in New Zealand is more than 100 km from the ocean and there are 3820 lakes with a surface area larger than 1 hectare, so there are plenty of opportunities to fish, kayak, swim and sail too. So, the reality of New Zealand’s dangerously beautiful natural landscape has led kiwis to be outdoor enthusiasts. Maybe it can also explain why New Zealand is the adventure capital of the world. Hey, kiwis live through the constant risk of an unpredictable earthquake, what’s a 134 meter bungy jump compared to that?
