Wellington Harbour before the Haowhenua earthquake

Wellington Harbour before the Haowhenua earthquake

This aerial view of Wellington has been modified to show the shoreline as it was before the Haowhenua earthquake, probably in the 15th century. At this time, Miramar Peninsula was an island called Motukairangi, although the water covering the airport (Te Awa-a-Tia channel) would have been very shallow. The present-day coastline is indicated by a dashed line.