A transform fault occurs when two plates, in this case the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate, slide alongside each other. They do not slide smoothly, however. They catch against each other until the pressure becomes too much, and then they move a large amount in a short period of time, causing earthquakes. This is called a rupture.
New Zealand is part of the Ring of Fire, an area with many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it is at the edge of the Pacific Plate. The last major earthquake here, in Fiordland, was a 7.8. The last major rupture, 8, was in 1717. Major ruptures occur about every 100-350 years. Another could happen at any moment. New Zealand has taken precautions by limiting the height of buildings.
I am staying near the Mt. Cook National Park. Today I went hiking around Aoraki, New Zealand's highest mountain, and I was able to look down on the beautiful Lake Tekapo. Yesterday I went to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, a museum about the region.
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