ShakeOut on Anchor Island

This exercise was lead by Tim Raemaekers and Jo Ledington on the island. Photos are also available on request.

Here on Anchor Island, Dusky Sound, Fiordland, we have a good reason to be earthquake conscious: in July 2009 a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck just four kilometres east of the hut. The tremor brought landslides of earth and forest down the steep rocky faces and took the Anchor hut fridge for a walk. The resident kakapo rangers had a few anxious moments under the table and plenty of cleaning up to do, but thankfully there was no serious damage.

So a few years later it was time to put our earthquake procedures to the test with the national ShakeOut drill.

09:26 – We are working peacefully in the hut when the alarm is sounded. “Earthquake” Hayley has us scrambling for the nearest cover under tables, in door frames and under some questionably safe shelving. We cover our heads, hold tight and wait it out for 20 or 30 seconds.

09:27 – We emerge from our shelters but at just a few metres away from Dusky Sound, we are at definite risk from a tsunami. We pull on raincoats and gumboots, grab a radio and step into the rain to follow our emergency track up the hill behind the hut.

09:30 – We arrive at our tsunami assembly point, hopefully out of harm’s way at about 25 m above sea level, where a fish bin of emergency supplies awaits our leisure. We open the reflective lid to reveal two days’ worth of tinned food, first aid kit, tent, tarps, torches, a marine radio and other odds and ends. Waiting here in the rain it seems like a good excuse for some creamed rice and muesli bars.

09:33 – Our initial attempts to radio DOC Te Anau fail – of course they are all under tables too. We can however get Fiordland Marine Radio and the lovely Carol who can pass on messages. We realise that in a real earthquake we may need to be patient while our contacts secure their own safety first.

09:40 – In a real situation we’d wait it out here until we got an all clear from the mainland, but we amble back down to the hut for a cuppa and a debrief.

So what did we learn? The drill highlighted a few things. First of all there is a bit of a shortage of sturdy cover when the hut is busy, but we can fit two or three under the table in a pinch. Our tsunami escape route takes us straight past the gas cage – not too clever. The emergency procedure copy in the tsunami bin is not laminated – hopeless in the Fiordland rain. A good idea for getting out of the hut quickly is just to grab a pack hanging by the door and shove it full of warm and waterproof clothing and spare radio batteries. But with these improvements in mind we feel pretty happy about our safety procedures.