Prime Minister Bill English is making his first official visit today - to earthquake-ravaged Kaikoura.
Accompanied by Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee, he made the wet and blustery half-hour hop across the Cook Strait in a Defence Force helicopter this morning.
Flying close to the coastline, English was able to get a good look at the rockfalls and slips that closed State Highway 1 following the 7.8 quake last month.
"God," he exclaimed, as the chopper looped around one of the largest slips, with the door open.
Spotting cars on a road below, he said "Gerry, how are these locals travelling?"
He wanted to know how equipment will be brought in to clear the roads and how heavy rain might affect the safety of those clearing the roads.
"That pretty amazing progress in about eight days," Brownlee told him.
The pair also joked about the last PM - Brownlee said John Key was good at spotting Maui dolphins. "He was a much smarter guy than me, hey, I don't know why we didn't make him director of recovery?" English said.
They spotted a pod of dolphins underneath. "This is pretty expensive whale-watching kit, Gerry," English said of the helicopter.
English also quizzed an NZTA official on the helicopter about safety improvements to the northern part of SH1, which was less affected by the quake. He was told they would begin work on that "almost straight away."
Work on the major slips will start as early as January 4, English was told.
He''ll also meet farmers who've been cut off at Kekerengu and make an announcement about the damaged South Bay Marina.
