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Landslide on the southern side of the Buller River caused by the Inangahua earthquake.1968.
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DescriptionLandslide on the southern side of the Buller River caused by the Inangahua earthquake. Upper Buller gorge, about 10 km upstream from Inangahua.
Simon Nathan Collection, Alexander Turnbull LibraryPhotographerSimon NathanDate of Photo1968Map[1] External LinkNational LibraryContributorHeather Newby
Simon Nathan Collection, Alexander Turnbull LibraryPhotographerSimon NathanDate of Photo1968Map[1] External LinkNational LibraryContributorHeather Newby
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Location (city or town)InangahuaLandmark (Place)Landslide on the southern side of the Buller RiverEventLandslide on the southern side of the Buller River caused by the Inangahua earthquake.1968.
Category Information
Category Tagearthquake
From Facebook
Date Created24th July 2021CommentsJessica Gilroy
Wow that’s massive
Murry McKendry
Wonder if there is a photo of the dam caused by the slip any where
Craig Ross
Murry McKendry I'm sure I've seen a photo of it damed up somewhere
Geoff Roberts
And now you have trouble finding it .... Nature has taken care with it's own way of regeneration... without DOC or anyone else thinking they know everything ....
Chris Burles
Geoff Roberts Still very visible...Especially near the top
Geoff Roberts
Chris Burles Along with slips from the 29 Murch one
.. but nature has covered them pretty well ..
George Brown
Geoff Roberts As she always will !
Lynnette Tippett
As kids every time we drove to and from Greymouth from Nelson it was always what we looked out for. Now can hardly see it
Brydon Nimmo
Bruce Nimmo
Arthur Bass
From Newmans Lookout isn't it ?
Gabrelle Hart
You can still see the remains of that too.
Cathy Howat
Went through there on holidays to Greymouth the following year
Lyn Tyson
We had family holidays at my aunt and uncle's farm at Inangahua Junction as a child and I believe their house broke in half during the earthquake
Ed Dando
I felt it in Dobson it was massive
Ian Andrew Jonson
Boulders from it hit the trees on this side and stripped them bare.
Trevor Keith Scott
We copped it in Greymouth also, it was the shakes after that was the worst, you did not know what was coming next. Quite orgasmic !!!
Greg Hine
This is the one that temporarily dammed the river isn’t it?
Sue Wilkinson
It took years and years for the foliage to recover
Ally Caddie
Wake up, the greens stated in their election campaign in the seventies this was the result of the Nz forest service native logging
Kaye McNabb
You can still see the top part. Vegetation much sparser
Stuart McMillan
That’s huge
Diana Monahan
Massive
Raelene Rainbird
No evidence of it now
Peter Gray
No blaming climate change back then, just mother nature blowing of a bit of steam
Margi Adamson
So real still today
Alec Birch
Was always an epic trip thru the gorge in the 60's and 70's, All the big open granite faces above the road and no jungle on the river side, That slip was humungous, across the river and up the road side, took a long time to cut down. All a bit ho hum thru there now, the jungle has taken over, needs some guys with chainsaws to create some view shafts.
· Reply · 14mRoyce Flynn
Yes saw it many years ago
Helen Dodge
That was the earthquake that sent my brothers sleeping with mum and dad for 6 months in the Maruia valley- me, at 2 years old, slept through it!
Diane Allen
Helen Dodge Kathy 8 yelled at me 5 to stop rocking my bed!
Lyn Gosling
Diane Allen My sister also was yelling at me to stop as she thought i was rocking her bed.
Brett Baxendale
Ground Zero
Miles Pupich
Nice pic
Keith Douthett
The Buller River was blocked there for a short time, until it slowly eroded the base of the slip. I remember it well.... the earthquake too!
Jimmy Foster
This was one of many slips that fell into the Buller river filling the whole valley with rock and debris another cause of flooding and devastation we are currently experiencing
Tony Warner
Were worried a tidal wave of water would sweep down the Buller river and wipe out Westport as the slip had completely blocked the river,,,fortunately in the end it just washed over the top of the slip and slowly washed the slip away I think some people… See More
Joy Hill-Cooper
Tony Warner there was a guy camping and gold panning when the earthquake happened, he called into the Mawheraiti hotel and told every one in the bar.
Tony Warner
Joy Hill-Cooper couldn't have been much around or he wouldn't have said anything he would have been too busy picking up nuggets
Joshua Kearns
Drew Tuisamoa
Elaine Matthews
I was a baby. My sister fainted and dropped me during the earthquake. It's great to see this pic.
Robert Scott
I remember hearing on the news back then, there was a slip somewhere in the Buller Gorge ( Upper, I think ) where a slip dammed the river. The government was looking at sending the Air Force in to bomb it, but apparently the force of water cleared it. Can anyone else recall that?
Miles Reay
I remember that Robert. They were going to send the Canberras in.
Ron Pearson
I flew over the site a few days after the Quake. The water just built up behind the huge slip then over the years slowly eroded the slip back down to near the original bed, Every hill or mountain had slips visible when flying over them from Westport. P… See More
Geoffrey Collis
Robert Scott I was collecting peoples dogs and getting them out of Inangahua by Army chopper my father who was going to inspect the slip with air force guys took me with them when they flew over the slip they decided it would course the blockage to l…
Noel Thomson
That would make the "greens" cry!!!
John Bowe
A fine example ofthe raising of the sea thatis being played as global warming the very thing that nature has been doing forever after all nature determins its own equilibrium by taking from the highest points which it,keeps on building by spinning around Natures way Ithink itscalled and the moment humans believe they can control that is when money will be come worthless because nature doesn't require money then all the fear tactics and straight out lies will be gone and nature will carry on doing what nature does naturally
Nigel Jayes
Mate you are brilliantly so right
Joy Leach
We were there, I wondered what on earth was happening
Jewel Lemon
Harry had the buses on Stan by to shift people to Sargent Hill
Jeff Mack
Saw it as a 13 Yr old on holiday in Nelson that Xmas. My grandmother was born at Inangahua and her Father goldmined at the Lyell
Robert Scott
I remember hearing on the news back then, there was a slip somewhere in the Buller Gorge ( Upper, I think ) where a slip dammed the river. The government was looking at sending the Air Force in to bomb it, but apparently the force of water cleared it. Can anyone else recall that?
Miles Reay
I remember that Robert. They were going to send the Canberras in.
Ron Pearson
I flew over the site a few days after the Quake. The water just built up behind the huge slip then over the years slowly eroded the slip back down to near the original bed, Every hill or mountain had slips visible when flying over them from Westport. Probably a lot of that gravel is still finding its way down the Buller and to the sea.
Geoffrey Collis
Robert Scott I was collecting peoples dogs and getting them out of Inangahua by Army chopper my father who was going to inspect the slip with air force guys took me with them when they flew over the slip they decided it would course the blockage to l… See More
Noel Thomson
That would make the "greens" cry!!!
John Bowe
A fine example ofthe raising of the sea thatis being played as global warming the very thing that nature has been doing forever after all nature determins its own equilibrium by taking from the highest points which it,keeps on building by spinning around Natures way Ithink itscalled and the moment humans believe they can control that is when money will be come worthless because nature doesn't require money then all the fear tactics and straight out lies will be gone and nature will carry on doing what nature does naturally
Nigel Jayes
Mate you are brilliantly so right
Joy Leach
We were there, I wondered what on earth was happening
Jewel Lemon
Harry had the buses on Stan by to shift people to Sargent Hill
Jeff Mack
Saw it as a 13 Yr old on holiday in Nelson that Xmas. My grandmother was born at Inangahua and her Father goldmined at the Lyell
John Bryce
They were worried it would dam the river no
John White
Yes Robert that’s dead right. That pic was in the Nelson Paper at the time. Slip is still visible- or was last time I drive through in 2017.
Gary Hood
I remember the Inangahua earthquake well as many other westcoasters will as well it happened at roughly 4 am in the morning it may have been a Thursday someone out there will know..I do have the news paper put out by the Greymouth evening star..every page photos of the destruction my late dad was good at keeping those sort of things the coast has endured alot over the years..will never forget
Gary Hood
I also remember taking a drive with the family to Inangahua after the earthquake to view the aftermath , the place was deserted houses derelict but still standing actually entered the house where the chimney all but come thru the roof and hung over the young boy that was in bed a photo was taken after of it and was in every news paper in the country I must get that paper out and post some pictures
Michael Kelberg
Oh my. I was 7 then. Living in chch. And not so long after the Wahine.
Chris Munn
Rob Blackmore i remember going up to see this slip with your mum & dad.
John Thawley
I remember driving past, it killed at least one person when their house was engulfed. RIP
Tony Warner
John Thawley I think 4 people died in the 68 quake
Chris Munn
Bring back the Harvards
Alison Armstrong
All covered up now, but never forgotten..
Roberta Moore
Will never forget that morning, huge damage right through the West Coast.
Carol Lamb
Roberta scars for life.
Geoff Roberts
Remember the road man's house on this side river.. Murchison side of Dublin's..old Mr Stevens he survived but wrecked his house.. would have to left of this photo
Phillip Murphy
Lived in Cobden and the house shook. We hid under our beds while things flew out oThef the cupboards.Then Cobden School fell down and we went to Blaketown.
Celia Pawson
This gave us some amazing kayaking. It was and is still called ‘The Earthquake Section’ of the Buller river.
Wow that’s massive
Murry McKendry
Wonder if there is a photo of the dam caused by the slip any where
Craig Ross
Murry McKendry I'm sure I've seen a photo of it damed up somewhere
Geoff Roberts
And now you have trouble finding it .... Nature has taken care with it's own way of regeneration... without DOC or anyone else thinking they know everything ....
Chris Burles
Geoff Roberts Still very visible...Especially near the top
Geoff Roberts
Chris Burles Along with slips from the 29 Murch one
.. but nature has covered them pretty well ..
George Brown
Geoff Roberts As she always will !
Lynnette Tippett
As kids every time we drove to and from Greymouth from Nelson it was always what we looked out for. Now can hardly see it
Brydon Nimmo
Bruce Nimmo
Arthur Bass
From Newmans Lookout isn't it ?
Gabrelle Hart
You can still see the remains of that too.
Cathy Howat
Went through there on holidays to Greymouth the following year
Lyn Tyson
We had family holidays at my aunt and uncle's farm at Inangahua Junction as a child and I believe their house broke in half during the earthquake
Ed Dando
I felt it in Dobson it was massive
Ian Andrew Jonson
Boulders from it hit the trees on this side and stripped them bare.
Trevor Keith Scott
We copped it in Greymouth also, it was the shakes after that was the worst, you did not know what was coming next. Quite orgasmic !!!
Greg Hine
This is the one that temporarily dammed the river isn’t it?
Sue Wilkinson
It took years and years for the foliage to recover
Ally Caddie
Wake up, the greens stated in their election campaign in the seventies this was the result of the Nz forest service native logging
Kaye McNabb
You can still see the top part. Vegetation much sparser
Stuart McMillan
That’s huge
Diana Monahan
Massive
Raelene Rainbird
No evidence of it now
Peter Gray
No blaming climate change back then, just mother nature blowing of a bit of steam
Margi Adamson
So real still today
Alec Birch
Was always an epic trip thru the gorge in the 60's and 70's, All the big open granite faces above the road and no jungle on the river side, That slip was humungous, across the river and up the road side, took a long time to cut down. All a bit ho hum thru there now, the jungle has taken over, needs some guys with chainsaws to create some view shafts.
· Reply · 14mRoyce Flynn
Yes saw it many years ago
Helen Dodge
That was the earthquake that sent my brothers sleeping with mum and dad for 6 months in the Maruia valley- me, at 2 years old, slept through it!
Diane Allen
Helen Dodge Kathy 8 yelled at me 5 to stop rocking my bed!
Lyn Gosling
Diane Allen My sister also was yelling at me to stop as she thought i was rocking her bed.
Brett Baxendale
Ground Zero
Miles Pupich
Nice pic
Keith Douthett
The Buller River was blocked there for a short time, until it slowly eroded the base of the slip. I remember it well.... the earthquake too!
Jimmy Foster
This was one of many slips that fell into the Buller river filling the whole valley with rock and debris another cause of flooding and devastation we are currently experiencing
Tony Warner
Were worried a tidal wave of water would sweep down the Buller river and wipe out Westport as the slip had completely blocked the river,,,fortunately in the end it just washed over the top of the slip and slowly washed the slip away I think some people… See More
Joy Hill-Cooper
Tony Warner there was a guy camping and gold panning when the earthquake happened, he called into the Mawheraiti hotel and told every one in the bar.
Tony Warner
Joy Hill-Cooper couldn't have been much around or he wouldn't have said anything he would have been too busy picking up nuggets
Joshua Kearns
Drew Tuisamoa
Elaine Matthews
I was a baby. My sister fainted and dropped me during the earthquake. It's great to see this pic.
Robert Scott
I remember hearing on the news back then, there was a slip somewhere in the Buller Gorge ( Upper, I think ) where a slip dammed the river. The government was looking at sending the Air Force in to bomb it, but apparently the force of water cleared it. Can anyone else recall that?
Miles Reay
I remember that Robert. They were going to send the Canberras in.
Ron Pearson
I flew over the site a few days after the Quake. The water just built up behind the huge slip then over the years slowly eroded the slip back down to near the original bed, Every hill or mountain had slips visible when flying over them from Westport. P… See More
Geoffrey Collis
Robert Scott I was collecting peoples dogs and getting them out of Inangahua by Army chopper my father who was going to inspect the slip with air force guys took me with them when they flew over the slip they decided it would course the blockage to l…
Noel Thomson
That would make the "greens" cry!!!
John Bowe
A fine example ofthe raising of the sea thatis being played as global warming the very thing that nature has been doing forever after all nature determins its own equilibrium by taking from the highest points which it,keeps on building by spinning around Natures way Ithink itscalled and the moment humans believe they can control that is when money will be come worthless because nature doesn't require money then all the fear tactics and straight out lies will be gone and nature will carry on doing what nature does naturally
Nigel Jayes
Mate you are brilliantly so right
Joy Leach
We were there, I wondered what on earth was happening
Jewel Lemon
Harry had the buses on Stan by to shift people to Sargent Hill
Jeff Mack
Saw it as a 13 Yr old on holiday in Nelson that Xmas. My grandmother was born at Inangahua and her Father goldmined at the Lyell
Robert Scott
I remember hearing on the news back then, there was a slip somewhere in the Buller Gorge ( Upper, I think ) where a slip dammed the river. The government was looking at sending the Air Force in to bomb it, but apparently the force of water cleared it. Can anyone else recall that?
Miles Reay
I remember that Robert. They were going to send the Canberras in.
Ron Pearson
I flew over the site a few days after the Quake. The water just built up behind the huge slip then over the years slowly eroded the slip back down to near the original bed, Every hill or mountain had slips visible when flying over them from Westport. Probably a lot of that gravel is still finding its way down the Buller and to the sea.
Geoffrey Collis
Robert Scott I was collecting peoples dogs and getting them out of Inangahua by Army chopper my father who was going to inspect the slip with air force guys took me with them when they flew over the slip they decided it would course the blockage to l… See More
Noel Thomson
That would make the "greens" cry!!!
John Bowe
A fine example ofthe raising of the sea thatis being played as global warming the very thing that nature has been doing forever after all nature determins its own equilibrium by taking from the highest points which it,keeps on building by spinning around Natures way Ithink itscalled and the moment humans believe they can control that is when money will be come worthless because nature doesn't require money then all the fear tactics and straight out lies will be gone and nature will carry on doing what nature does naturally
Nigel Jayes
Mate you are brilliantly so right
Joy Leach
We were there, I wondered what on earth was happening
Jewel Lemon
Harry had the buses on Stan by to shift people to Sargent Hill
Jeff Mack
Saw it as a 13 Yr old on holiday in Nelson that Xmas. My grandmother was born at Inangahua and her Father goldmined at the Lyell
John Bryce
They were worried it would dam the river no
John White
Yes Robert that’s dead right. That pic was in the Nelson Paper at the time. Slip is still visible- or was last time I drive through in 2017.
Gary Hood
I remember the Inangahua earthquake well as many other westcoasters will as well it happened at roughly 4 am in the morning it may have been a Thursday someone out there will know..I do have the news paper put out by the Greymouth evening star..every page photos of the destruction my late dad was good at keeping those sort of things the coast has endured alot over the years..will never forget
Gary Hood
I also remember taking a drive with the family to Inangahua after the earthquake to view the aftermath , the place was deserted houses derelict but still standing actually entered the house where the chimney all but come thru the roof and hung over the young boy that was in bed a photo was taken after of it and was in every news paper in the country I must get that paper out and post some pictures
Michael Kelberg
Oh my. I was 7 then. Living in chch. And not so long after the Wahine.
Chris Munn
Rob Blackmore i remember going up to see this slip with your mum & dad.
John Thawley
I remember driving past, it killed at least one person when their house was engulfed. RIP
Tony Warner
John Thawley I think 4 people died in the 68 quake
Chris Munn
Bring back the Harvards
Alison Armstrong
All covered up now, but never forgotten..
Roberta Moore
Will never forget that morning, huge damage right through the West Coast.
Carol Lamb
Roberta scars for life.
Geoff Roberts
Remember the road man's house on this side river.. Murchison side of Dublin's..old Mr Stevens he survived but wrecked his house.. would have to left of this photo
Phillip Murphy
Lived in Cobden and the house shook. We hid under our beds while things flew out oThef the cupboards.Then Cobden School fell down and we went to Blaketown.
Celia Pawson
This gave us some amazing kayaking. It was and is still called ‘The Earthquake Section’ of the Buller river.
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West Coast New Zealand History (27th Jul 2021). Landslide on the southern side of the Buller River caused by the Inangahua earthquake.1968.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 9th Apr 2026 19:39, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29695