The South Island is depicted as a punch bag which is reeling with the punishment inflicted after having been practised on by 'blizzards', 'earthquakes', 'disasters' and now 'drought'. Context; the Christchurch earthquake of 4 October and the Pike River Mine disaster of 19 November as well as some fairly extreme weather. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The cartoon's title is 'Life in the South Island'. A man wonders aloud to his wife when the 'plague of locusts' will arrive as they have had 'collapsing finance companies, earthquakes' and 'heavy snow damage'. Refers to the collapse of South Canterbury Finance, the earthquake of 4th September, and more recently, heavy snow in Southland that has caused roofs to collapse. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
An official at the 'Otago Port Co.' stares in bewilderment at the feet of his colleague at the Lyttelton Port Company who says 'Ah, that might do it for now' as he hangs upside down by his feet from his upturned desk in the aftermath of the 4th September Canterbury earthquake. Text above reads 'News, the Lyttelton Port Co. has halted merger talks with Otago since the 'quake, saying "the landscape has changed". Refers to the news that Lyttelton Port, the South Island's biggest port, abandoned two-years of merger talks with rival Port Otago because it is preoccupied with rebuilding after the Canterbury earthquake. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).