Mailnews_old

Views 476 Votes 0 Comment 0
?

Shortcut

PrevPrev Article

NextNext Article

Larger Font Smaller Font Up Down Go comment Print
?

Shortcut

PrevPrev Article

NextNext Article

Larger Font Smaller Font Up Down Go comment Print
austraLasia #2709
  

Salesian students 'all shook up' on NZ outdoor excursion

CHRISTCHURCH: 7 September 2010 -- The Salesian community in New Zealand (opened earlier this year) is in Auckland, on the North Island, but as it happens, 9 students from Salesian administered Dominic College in Hobart, Tasmania, NZ's island 'neighbour', had arrived in Christchurch at precisely the wrong time!  At 4.30 am on the morning of 5 September, the city was struck by a 7.1 earthquake, one of the largest to his the country in the last 80 years. The earthquake caused substantial damage to the city, some injuries but no loss of life.
    The nine students, along with six from another Hobart Catholic school, were in the care of the outdoors education teacher from Dominic College, who acted quickly to gather the students according to standard earthquake drill - in a safe room, under tables and in doorways.  Nobody was injured, and once city authoroties allowed freedom of movement, the students and staff were able to continue their journey which takes them across to Greymouth on the western side of the South Island, opposite Christchurch.  Of course, that direction would not necessarily ensure no more potential earthquakes, as the fault line that runs through the country traverses much of the South Island and a good part of the North.  That's New Zealand's lot.
    New Zealand experiences some 14,000 earthquakes annually, only 800 or so of which can normally be felt. The most devastating earthquake in terms of human loss occurred in 1931 in Hawke's Bay (North Island) when 256 people died.  Because of the frequency of tremors and the ever-likely possibility of a major one, New Zealand building regulations are amongst the strictest int he world, and the people have a 'culture' of earthquake readiness, all of which no doubt contributed to the fact that the most recent, while destroying many buildings in the city, did not inflict death.
    The NZ earthquake is a reminder, nevertheless, that a large area of Salesian activity in the Pacific zone, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga (which has no Salesian community but has contributed good, solid Salesian vocations) and of course NZ itself, has this factor to contend with. The Pacific Tsunami which struck just a year ago in the region (29 September, 8.3 strength), killing more than a hundred people, resulted in the tragic loss of one young Salesian's mother and several other members of his family, in Tonga's northern islands.
  _________________ 
 AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there.  Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org

List of Articles
No. Category Subject Views
127 Pac. 3361_First Professions, Renewals, New Novices 600
126 Pac. 3344_The situation in Juba 633
125 Pac. 3304_Faith Adventure Leads to Samoa 511
124 Pac. 3288_Salesians in Fiji embark on a catechetical initiative 551
123 Pac. 3283_SamBosco Youth Festival, Samoa 488
122 Pac. 3172_Being a Cambodian Journalist Fr Albeiro Rodas 514
121 Pac. 3171_Cyclone Evans devastates Samoa and Fiji 529
120 Pac. 3121_Tuck in! It's DB Day(s) in Samoa! 474
119 Pac. 3078_Ordination in Samoa 543
118 Pac. 3041_"An old friend of the famous team" - and a request 626
117 Pac. 2987_New Zealand takes close interest in Training Centre and a rather special Ultralight! 524
116 Pac. 2979_For Samoa: Friday 30 December 2011 will simply not exist! 585
115 Pac. 2867_Stepping into a brave new world - the stuff that dreams are made of 501
114 Pac. 2865_New Salesian school opens on Savai'i, in Samoa 567
113 Pac. 2769_Fr Nick writes ... 517
112 Pac. 2752_Australia-Pacific Quinquennium in Samoa 457
» Pac. 2709_Salesian students 'all shook up' on NZ outdoor excursion 476
110 Pac. 2599_Add one more country to the list! New Zealand 249
109 Pac. 2589_Samoan Teachers reflect: Educating with the Heart of Don Bosco 424
108 Pac. 2543_Blessing of the Salesian residence, Salelologa, Savai’i, Samoa. 585
Board Pagination Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
/ 7