Source: Auckland Council On Friday 5 March, three large earthquakes struck off the north east coast of New Zealand. The last of these was a magnitude 8.1 earthquake on the Kermadec Islands (around 1,000 km north east of New Zealand), triggering a tsunami threat for parts of Northland and Aotea / Great Barrier Island. While most Aucklanders were told to stay away from beaches and off the water, the 936 residents of Aotea / Great Barrier Island were asked to evacuate immediately to higher ground. Island residents are well aware of the risks that come with living on one of the Auckland region’s most remote spots which means they also know what to do when disaster strikes. When the tsunami threat was issued by the National Emergency Management Agency, the island’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) swung into action.