When the zombies strike, typically you’ll see the world’s big cities fall; New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Beijing, and so on. But where does Auckland sit in this list? As a post-apocalyptic writer living in New Zealand’s biggest metropolis, I felt it was high time someone looked into it.
Here’s how to survive a zombie apocalypse while living in Auckland.
What you’ll need when the outbreak begins
Everyone has mixed feelings on doomsday prepping, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you to get supplies ready now in case a zombie strike happens tomorrow. However, we do live on a geological hotspot, with the EQC’s Geonet website saying there are about 50 volcanoes in the Auckland Volcanic Field, and the activity is very much still alive (if not in the existing, extinct cones, but still in the ground). So, you could pretend you are buying supplies for a natural disaster, but secretly for a zombie one.
Thankfully, the CDC’s blog put together a list of important supplies we all should have in the event of a brain-munching viral outbreak.
- Water: The World Health Organization reckons you’ll need about 7.5-15 litres per day, which includes drinking water (2.5-3 litres per day) and then extra for cooking and cleaning.
- Food: Calorie intake depends greatly on the person, but WebMD states that the average moderately active female aged 19-30 needs 2,000-2,200 calories a day. The equivalent male needs 2,600-2,800.
- Medication: Including necessary prescription drugs and of course a first-aid kit.
- Clothing: Enough to keep warm or dry (bearing in mind Auckland can get over 15 days of rain a month from May to October), as well as changes of clothing for general hygiene’s sake.
- Sanitation: Soap, toothbrushes/paste, tampons/pads etc. Even bleach, Dettol and other cleaning products can be worth having, just in case.
- Bedding: Blankets and duvets are a lot to carry, but sleeping bags aren’t as heavy when you’re on the run from your deceased little sister. You can buy great ones from typical outdoor stores like Katmandu, but The Warehouse stocks plenty, too.
- Important documents: The CDC also recommends carrying relevant documents like driver’s licenses, passports or birth certificates. You never know when your ID will be required.
How bad will Auckland fare?
Data is limited on Auckland specifically, but we can examine other cities to determine just how bad things might get in the Land of the Long Line of Traffic.
CareerBuilder and Economic Modelling Specialists International combined forces last year to release a detailed analysis of 53 major US cities and how each would manage a zombie apocalypse. Occupational skills and industry characteristics were examined, then each city was scored on a table that included stats like ‘ability to defend against the virus’ and ‘ability to find a cure’.
Let’s look at Auckland using some of the same concepts. For example, how well can we defend ourselves? CareerBuilder looked at total military personnel as well as the percentage of people in the police force, firefighting service and security. We luck out on this front, as Auckland has four main NZDF bases (including Papakura, one of the Army’s main bases). This also includes the RNZAF’s No. 6 squadron, which specialises in search and rescue, medical evacuation surface warfare.
Additionally, population density plays an important factor, and indeed this computes under CareerBuilder’s ‘ability to contain the virus’ rating. Auckland may have the largest urban population in New Zealand, but relatively on a global scale, the density is fairly low. Te Ara Encyclopedia’s data shows that we’re both smaller and less dense than all of the world cities mentioned in this article’s introduction, but considering the Auckland Council’s growth projections alongside the Unitary Plan, this could change between now and 2041.
What should you do when the zombies come?
When you thought you’d put grandma down but she keeps getting up again, it might be time to act.
The CDC continues in its blog that you should plan a meet-up place for you and your family in the event of an emergency, then follow a pre-determined evacuation route. According to Cornell University, the best way to survive the flesh-eating apocalypse is to get the hell outta the city, so a proper Zombie Plan is an absolute essential.
“Given the dynamics of the [zombie] disease,” said Alex Alemi from the institute, “once the zombies invade more sparsely populated areas, the whole outbreak slows down—there are fewer humans to bite, so you start creating zombies at a slower rate.”
In Auckland, it will be hard to get decent weapons like they do in Hollywood, but our sports shops still have good rifles. Plus, you can often buy axes and other spiky things from The Warehouse, Mitre 10 and so forth, so consider adding these to your plan so you gear up before heading out.
The final word from Mr Alemi was to run for the hills. Thankfully, in NZ we also have plenty of bush – so escape, isolate yourself and don’t go back until the authorities say you can.
Or, if you’d like, throw yourself at the zombie horde so they are distracted and I can escape. Whichever works for you!
If you enjoyed reading this article, you might like more of Duncan P. Pacey’s post-apocalyptic work. Join the community on his Facebook and Twitter pages today!
