Most earthquakes are not serious and don’t cause any damage. But if you’d like to know what to do in an earthquake, look at the front of any telephone book. They have instructions and guidelines.
Our active volcanoes are in the North Island - Mount Ruapehu and Mount Nguarahoe are both active. The South Island has some very old, extinct volcanoes but no active ones. There have been some eruptions from Mount Ruapehu in the last few years, but they haven’t been serious. The volcanoes are scientifically monitored and sophisticated early warning systems are in place.
In the middle of the North Island are New Zealand’s main thermal areas. There are geysers, hot thermal springs and boiling mud pools. You need to be very careful in these areas and always wear good footwear. Sometimes new “hot spots” appear and if there’s steam and boiling mud you can get burned. If you see steam rising from the ground, take extra care about where you walk.
