SHAKEY ISLES

THE LATEST EMAIL FROM FRIENDS IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND, TELLS OF 2500 OVERSHOCKS SINCE THE CITY WAS HIT BY AN EARTHQUAKE . ALTHOUGH THE TREMORS SEEM LESS POWERFUL, THE FREQUENT SHAKING IS CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS NOT ALREADY DEMOLISHED . THE SOIL UNDER FOUNDATIONS IS BEING PULVERISED IN PLACES . SERIOUSLY , MANY KIWIS ARE THINKING OF MOVING TO AUSTRALIA .

CLOSER TO HOME , THE ERUPTIONS OF THE INDONESIAN VOLCANO MERAPI COULD HAVE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS IF IT EXPLODES LIKE KRAKATAU DID IN 1883, KILLING MORE THAN 40,000. LIKE A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION, IT WAS HEARD 3000 MILES AWAY . IN AUSTRALIA, IT WAS HEARD IN PERTH AS 23 CUBIC KILOMETRES WERE BLASTED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, IN THE PROCESS DESTROYING THE ISLAND IN THE SUNDRA STRAIT , BETWEEN JAVA AND SUMATRA.