Council helps children learn about local hazards

Published on 04 September 2025

Hundreds of tamariki from throughout the Coromandel and neighbouring areas have been able to learn all about localised hazards thanks to a collaboration between Thames-Coromandel District Council Emergency Management, Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa).

Our Council’s emergency management team invited local schools to the Thames Museum’s Rūaumoko Restless Land display, covering the cost of entry for children over six weeks.

Nearly 1000 people took part in exploring the display, on loan from Te Papa. This included 512 children and 474 adults from throughout our district and neighbouring areas.

The earthquake display highlights the need to know what to do should the Big One hit. In the Thames-Coromandel area, our biggest threat is the Hikurangi Subduction Zone – an area off the East Coast of the North Island.

New research found if an earthquake of a 9.1 magnitude struck in the zone, our peninsula could expect to face hazards such as tsunami, landslides and liquefaction – not to mention power outages and road closures.

Our Council’s emergency management team provided additional resources to the Rūaumoko Restless Land display, offering information on what the localised hazards are for our communities and how best to prepare for them. These resources included information booklets, a fun quiz plus grab bags.

Kaiaua School principal Carrie Taipari-Thorne says the opportunity to visit the museum to check out the artefacts and taonga on display has been “awesome”.

Pictured: Kaiaua School principal Carrie Taipari-Thorne with some of her students exploring the Rūaumoko Restless Land display at Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga.

“Even more awesome is our tamariki are able to have the opportunity to come down and check it out too. We’re grateful that the council has partnered up with our kura and given us the opportunity to come by providing the funding that we needed to get here all the way from Kaiaua,” she says.

Thames-Coromandel District Council Civil Defence and Emergency Manager Brian Carter said knowing what localised hazards to be aware of and how best to prepare for them could make all the difference in a Hikurangi Subduction Zone event.

Providing this important and potentially life-saving information in a fun, family-friendly environment such as the museum’s display was invaluable.

Mr Carter thanked the museum volunteers who worked hard to host and manage the school visits.

The Rūaumoko Restless Land display closed on 20 August but there’s still plenty of information available below plus all the amazing things to explore at Thames Museum.

Learn more about localised hazards

Find out more about preparing for an earthquake

Find out more about preparing for a tsunami