Cancelled trip double protection for Ngati Kuri

Ngāti Kuri chair Harry Burkhardt says this week’s increased Covid-19 restrictions may have saved members of the far north iwi from being caught up in today’s Kermadec earthquakes.

A 7.4 event was recorded at 6.41am off Raoul Island, the largest of the Kermadec Islands, followed at 8.28am by a shallow 8.1 quake in the same area.

Mr Burkhart says members in Ngātaki and Te Hāpua moved to higher ground when the tsunami warning came.

He says some iwi members were due to be on Raoul Island today as part of a scientific exhibition.

"We had a rōpu heading to Rangitahua last Monday and because of level three we chose not to go. It's probably a lovely tohu, if you want to put it in that context," Mr Burkhardt says.

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