You’ve probably heard that at 12:51pm on Tuesday 22 February the city of Christchurch in New Zealand’s South Island was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. Since then, the central city has been closed to allow emergency services to do their job.
Outside the central city, however, many businesses are up and running again now that power and water services have resumed. Beyond Christchurch, towns such as Akaroa, Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura are busier than ever with Christchurch locals taking a break from the city and tourists relocating to areas where there is no disruption of services. The remainder of the South Island, including Queenstown, Fiordland, Dunedin and Nelson, and the whole North Island (home to New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, and its political capital, Wellington) are entirely unaffected and are welcoming visitors as usual.
If you’re planning to travel to New Zealand in the near future, don’t worry – there’s no reason to cancel your plans. For all New Zealand travel plans outside Christchurch, you don’t need to change a thing. Christchurch International Airport is open, as are the main highways to other South Island destinations, so if you’re passing through it’s not a problem. Non-essential stays in Christchurch should be avoided for now, however, as accommodation is limited.
If you do need to change your plans, contact your travel agent or tour operator. For official Tourism New Zealand information on travelling to New Zealand, see www.tourismnewzealand.com.