View of the Cook Straits. (Image: Getty)
Severe weather during peak summer holiday period has disrupted travel for thousands of people, as ferries that cross the sea between the main islands were cancelled.
The problems propelled by huge swells and gales in the stormy Cook Strait, between the North and South Islands, are recurring features of the country’s rough weather profile.
Japan and Britain struggled with similar issues, which were later resolved with their renowned however, New Zealand had never considered adopting the idea seriously.
The last time the country had even considered the possibility of an underwater tunnel was in 1904.
Due to the volatile sea and hazard-prone terrain, the idea of a tunnel or bridge is unlikely and brings many obstacles for the country’s planners.
:
Stormy seas off the coast of New Zealand’s North Island. (Image: Getty)
Seismologist John Risteau of GNS explains that the country resides on the boundary between tectonic plates, with fault lines running under both Islands. This means that earthquakes are sometimes centred in the Cook Strait.
Theoretically, the Cook Strait tunnel would be approximately 25-30 kilometres, drastically reducing the three-to-four-hour sailing time between the islands.
Nicholas Reid, MRCagney’s transport planner, estimated the tunnel to cost 50 billion New Zealand dollars (£25 billion), comparable to the tunnel connecting Britain and Europe.
“It would chew up, off the top of my head, about 20 years of the country’s entire transport infrastructure development budget in one project,” he told the Independent.
Though New Zealand is similar in size to the UK, its population is considerably smaller.
The UK has a population of 69 million people, 13 times more than New Zealand’s.
“We have a large infrastructure burden if we want to reach out across the country,” said Reid. “And we’ve only got 5 million people to pay for it.”
Don’t miss… [REPORT]
Cook Strait ferries docked in port, New Zealand. (Image: Getty)
View from the top of deck of Cook Strait ferry at sunset. (Image: Getty)
Due to its opposing tides, the Cook Strait is considered rougher than other straits worldwide. One side joins the Tasman Sea, and the other meets the Pacific Ocean.
MetService weather forecaster Gerard Bellam told the Independent, “We tend to have the prevailing, dominating wind funnel through Cook Strait, northerlies or southerlies, and that’s why they’re stronger there.”
The Cook Strait has two ferry services, all of which are state-owned. The ferries are prone to breakdowns, which has caused political controversy.
The current government scrapped their predecessors’ plan to replace the vehicles before they become unusable in 2029 due to being too costly.
The opposition has criticised the government for revealing its new ferry replacement plan in December but not disclosing the cost.