Telegraph Road

This is where the earthquake fault crossed the road. Temporary repairs have been done, but you can see where the dotted centre line on one side matches up with the solid edge marker line on the other.

Today I went out and looked at some of the country roads in the path of the earthquake. I saw on the ground places shown in the aerial views in the video. Highfield Road was the most affected, though temporary repairs have been done there too. I arrived there just as a team of geophysicists, who were doing a seismic survey, were stopping for lunch. Some of them were happy to explain the changes that had taken place, and told me particular places to look at.

The road was shifted sideways 4.6 metres (15 feet), and vertically by about 2 metres (6.5 feet). This is no mere kink or hump. The road doesn't return to its previously straight line, nor to the previous level. Here is the road from the lower end. From here you should be able to see a long, straight road to the vanishing point.

Behind the hedge on the left you can see the effect on the previously flat ground and straight fence. The young trees in the foreground have also moved. Beyond the fence the field has been ripped, as can be seen in the video. On the other side of the road the previously flat field has become rolling countryside.