If you were ever planning a nice little day swim across the Tasman from New Zealand to Australia it just got shorter…by about one stroke.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Fiordland a week ago apparently twisted the southern island so far out of shape that it actually moved about one foot closer to Australia, says a New Zealand news source. Every year, the island drifts about one-third of an inch westward, but this is giving it about a thirty-six year boost. The earthquake was the biggest in New Zealand after eighty years.

No, it probably won’t make your inter-island travels any cheaper, but at least the South Pacific just got a foot cozier.

Here’s the video from the quake:

Feature photo: Stormy Dog