How are our fellow SSC Cantabrians ? I hope that nobody is hurt :(

So sad, CHC is incredibly beautiful and I am hoping that not much heritage has been lost .... very, very sad ..... our thoughts are with you.

P.S. Please let us know if you are all okay ......

It's good to hear that so far serious injuries are minimal, thank god it happened so early in the morning. They reckon that the infrastructure will take some time to repair.

Hope everyone down there is safe and well. Hope the Metallica shows still go ahead also.

BBC has just showen footage and pictures and done and interview with the Civil Defense. They are keeping a constant update on what is going on.

I'm really shocked!!

It took ages to get word from family and friends that they were all safe. Thank goodness Luka sent a text saying that he was ok :) Cheers mate, glad you are well and I hope all the other CHC and SI boys are too.

Did you feel the shake in Dunedin, WGN, AKL or elsewhere guys???

Didn't feel anything here in Auckland, but apparently it was felt as far north as New Plymouth.

Received a text from Luka - he has been evacuated from the building and he is walking through the city - Manchester street is apparently wrecked :(

Yea didnt feel anything in Auckland. It's interesting because most thought Wellington was the next place due for the big one, but turns out its chch!

Christ all mighty it was scary. My speakers sit at my head on my bed's head, and they bang on the wall lightly when i move.. im a really light sleeper and i started to think.. ohhhh turn the bass up on this! then half a second later i was out of my bed, on the floor trying to run to the doorway to the stairs (as i have a room downstairs and everyone else is upstairs) im screaming GET IN THE FUCKING DOORWAY! for a whole minute..

Dont get any of this crap back home..

What a morning.

0435 all hell broke loose. I got thrown out of bed ran to the doorway and tried to stay upright. Doesnt matter how much of a deep sleep your having you know its an earthquake and there was no doubting this was massive. The noise was something else. Being a few floors up I felt the building swaying. I could hear the walls really straining to stay intact. Really though this was going to be it.

Once it died down I threw on clothes, crawl over toppled furniture and ran down the stairs. The street was full of people in their pjs and dressing gowns everyone looked shocked. Lots of people crying. Stangers all talking to each other, that was real nice.

I went for a quick walk around the city. City centre is wierd. Stand on some corners and it looks fine. Absolutely no damage at all. Look the other way and you see a mess of brickwork completely blocking the road covering parked cars. You can look up into exposed shops and apartments, its eerie.

From what I saw, many of the beautiful older red brick buildings on Manchester and a couple on Lichfield have gone or are as good as gone. Many other older buildings have lost brickwork or awnings. Lot of ruptured pipes. Westpac Building in city mall has lost lots of glass and also massive cracks have appeared going all the way up the building from what I saw. Thankfully no fires broke out.

We weren’t allowed into our building until it had been cleared by engineers. Went up to see the damage, no electricity, no water, every item of crockery, every plate smashed on the floor. Fridge fell over, food everywhere. Managed to salvage a bottle of duty free whiskey lol, going to hit that tonight. Book case in a bedroom fell over and went through the opposite wall. Just beginning to wonder where to start with the tidy up when the police came by to tell us they were closing the cbd effective immediately and we had to leave.

Gathered my things but then confusion about the evacuation order. The super said apparently our block is clear and we can stay. Most central city residents have to leave at least until tomorrow morning. All businesses are closed. One supermarket (Indictables fun shopping trip) and one service station on the cbds edge are all thats open. Absolutely no one other than emergency workers and some residents allowed. A relief to be able to stay home.

Unnerving though, aftershocks have died down a little in the last hour. One a wee while back was strong enough to topple the chimney of the next door student flats. The other chimney looks ready to go at any minute too.

Powers just come on. Going to stay home for a bit. No point going out, police jump on you-they expect a few more buildings are going to collapse and want no fatalities. Thank God this happened while everyone was asleep. If it happened during the day many would have been killed, I have no doubt about that.

^^ do you own the house or are you renting it?

I own an apartment but got insurance natch. No idea of the cost of damage to my place. Will wait a week or so before making a claim, nothings going onto move too fast there. The hole in the wall wont be cheap to fix I reckon.

I own an apartment but got insurance natch. No idea of the cost of damage to my place. Will wait a week or so before making a claim, nothings going onto move too fast there. The hole in the wall wont be cheap to fix I reckon.

That's why I will stick with renting for the rest of my life
No worth buying a place and then something like that happens

At least NZ expects and is geared up for earthquakes. TBH Im very impressed with the police and the army. Theyve gotten everyone out of town that doesnt need to be here. The governments going to be spending a bucketload of cash getting things back together. Speaking of, the Prime Ministers has just flown in for a look see and all important press conference outside a damaged building.

Sad news, just heard the Repertory Theatre has been destroyed. Apparently all the sewers have burst out in Avonside, a whole suburb is flooded in shit. Poor bastards.

thank god it happened so early in the morning.

i'm not so sure 430 am is the best time for this to happen

I live in Riccarton. I just thought "This might be the biggest earthquake I've experienced". I generally don't get out of bed for earthquakes, and didn't. I had no idea how serious it was until I watched the TV footage.

Some of our chimney bricks caved in - but we don't use the chimneys anyway. Other than that, some drinking glasses smashed.

i'm not so sure 430 am is the best time for this to happen

They said on the news it was a blessing because no one was out on the street where buildings collapsed on cars.

This guy I've been seeing is in NZ at the moment (he's Kiwi) and he's on the South Island, just out of Christchurch. I just got a text from him, he's stuck in the mountains (don't know which ones exactly) because the road's out.

Did anybody in Christchurch just hear that? There was a massive bang a few minutes ago. I can see heaps of black smoke in the sky, the air stinks of fire.. Looks like its coming from around the Cathedral.

Apparently the Quest Hotel and Out of the Box Hotels on Cathedral Junction have caught fire.

Gas leak??????????

Just heard about this now, I wish the best for all of you in christchurch. Thankfully no deaths and hopfully the aftershocks don't produce any.

Such a pity so many historical buildings were damaged. It's a real shame.

Anyway, for those of you there right now, take care!

Apparently the Quest Hotel and Out of the Box Hotels on Cathedral Junction have caught fire.

Gas leak??????????

Yeah, John Key was in the area when it caught fire. Apparently it is under control. Not sure what caused it though, but it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't a gas leak.

thanks justme!

Couple of small fires have broken out but the fire service are onto them immediately.

Just about dark now and we are in curfew now. Im so happy Ive got power on, like most people still no water though.

Night all.

^^ All the best mate. Hope the aftershocks aren't too bad.

Exactly 1 hour ago we had a 4.6.. around 3/4km from where I was

I hope everyone in Christchurch is all right and everything returns to normal quickly. We are think of you from across the ditch.

Saw some photos this morning off NZ Herald of building frontages just falling into the street and exposing intact rooms to everyone on the street.

I think NZ previous biggest earthquake was in Napier in 1930's?? Was this one bigger than that one?

Very little damage around my part of town (Huntsbury). The power was off but we never lost water. The odd place has lost a chimney or a fence but not too bad. Most roads near me are okay too. Some of the devastation in other parts of town is just shocking to watch though. Sad to see so many of our old buildings only fit for the bulldozer.

Just took a walk into the perimeter of town. A guard walked away from his post specifically to watch me - as if I was up to no good. That crept me out.

It's times like that I hear my Dad saying "No fucking White bastard's gonna tell me where I can and can't go" (which he'd do purely by accident, as that's the only time he'd ever acknowledge being Maori).

Is everybody OK downthere? Christchurch city has any damages from the earthquake?

Is everybody OK downthere? Christchurch city has any damages from the earthquake?

Christchurch is quite damaged from the earthquake as I'm sure you've seen from the pictures. Thankfully there are still no reported deaths and comparatively few injuries at least. There are some estimates of 90+ buildings at "demolition" standards, but it really is early days to be making pronouncements like that. We'll just have to see what the assessors say in the coming days/weeks.

Jeez...they dont tell you about this in the emmigration packs....:)

Hope everyones ok down there.......

Oh yeah rooty, I know alot of the situation is overblown by the media. For instance this looting claim. Cops told me it was a case of 2 guys who smashed a dairies windows on Selwyn Street. Idiots managed to make off with chocolate and cigarettes. It was the only reported case.

Heck, I walked through Cashel Street at 5am, maybe 5 stores were completely open and exposed (doors open, glass gone) with no security around. Plenty of people were walking past, no one was even remotely interested in scoring themselves pots and pans from Living and Giving.

Still on the news here in the UK - the interviews with Bob Parker have been really good, he has spoken well, giving very factual and calming information.

You have no idea how isolated all us Kiwi's here feel from you all at the moment.

Keep up the good updates ML and others..........

Thinking of you all the time.

^^ You'll be proud to know, Davee, that unlike other occasions, Civil Defence have been fantastic. They have handled the situation well, briefed people well, deployed people efficiently and kept the public well informed - at least from my perspective. To continue the praise I guess you'd better hear it from someone on the ground. ;)

Also impressive (though I don't like the guy) was the way that John Key spoke on the subject. He appeared very well informed for someone who had only just stepped off a plane. Good stuff all round that shows that NZ can handle itself when disaster hits at least. :)

Luka, thanks for your email, you stay safe , I have sent you a reply, hope you can read it after downing a bottle of "that Scottish water". I spoke to my kids in Rangiora & Oxford last night ,they were well shaken up and are OK now ( I think they also have a bottle or two of "Scottish Water"). Luka were was the epi-centre ? judging by the amount of damage that CHC suffered is was close by.

Our thoughts are with you and all the population in and around CHC, I am sre the City Authorities are doing a great job and the city can reopen very quickly, and it will be business as usual.

As a chilean, I cannot stay indifferent to all this sad situation. but you guys are strong enough to stand up again and make your beautiful city even better than it was.

hugs from Chile!!!!

Amazing no one was dead despite the damage. The fact people were at home kept the casualty counts low. If the quake was during the day another story.

Huge Coverage on news bulletins in Australia last night.

Still on the news here in the UK - the interviews with Bob Parker have been really good, he has spoken well, giving very factual and calming information.

You have no idea how isolated all us Kiwi's here feel from you all at the moment.

Keep up the good updates ML and others..........

Thinking of you all the time.

Davee, just received an email from the family out in Oxford, their house was undamaged as was Oxford centre, they still have power and water. Have been told not travel out of town,as some roads are damaged.
My son in Rangiora, also reports (to his knowledge) little damage to homes or the town centre, only a few homes flooded ,due to burst pipes.
But Woodend and Kaiapoi were without power and water, with flooding in Kaiapoi due to fractured sewage system, not good.

Schools and early childhood centres in Christchurch, Waimakariri, and Selwyn districts will be closed until at least Wednesday 8 September in response to the earthquake.

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/SchoolOperations/CanterburyEarthquake/InformationUpdates.aspx

Couple bits of news gathered from various sources:

The Canterbury Disctrict Health Board says extensive damage to underground sewerage and water systems has the potential to cause major public health issues for residents.

Councils in affected areas are working hard to re-establish services, checking structures and water safety.

In the meantime, people need to take the following advice to avoid getting sick with stomach bugs and other illnesses.

People living in the Christchurch, Waimakariri and Selwyn districts should assume at the moment that tap water is unsafe and contaminated.

Avoid contact with sewage. Use as little water as possible to flush your toilet if you have water. If you don't have water, make a temporary toilet with a bin lined with two plastic bags.


It may be two to three days before power can be restored to some houses. In extreme cases, where a single home or business is still without power in an area where power has otherwise been restored, it may up to five days. Orion is currently focusing on Avonside, Brighton and Halswell, as well as rural areas around Highfield, Greendale and Brookside.

Twenty-five teams from the city council's building evaluation team being to move through the cordoned off area of the central city, inspecting all buildings within this zone.

Each building will be tagged after it has been inspected - with red placards assigned where buildings are considered unsafe and can not be entered; yellow placards assigned where restricted use is permitted; and green placards assigned where there are no restrictions on a building's use.

It is hoped that this process can be completed for all buildings within the cordoned off area by the end of the day today.

Fairly big read, but after so much going on, and many of us not knowing exactly whats happening this is still a good summary. Two things stick out for me; the US has offered full support yet authorities have advised the 'thanks but no thanks, weve got this under control.' Secondly, despite all the carnage the kerbside rubbish collection will go ahead as normal.

Well done Christchurch!


Cleanup begins after massive quake.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/4097358/Cleanup-begins-after-massive-quake

An eerie calm has descended on central Christchurch tonight.

Cathedral Square remains sealed off from the outside world, in the middle of the worst hit part of the city.

The central business district around it will be off limits tomorrow, city leaders confirmed today. Only essential staff, and tourists in hotels still operating in the centre are allowed entry.

A press conference this afternoon also heard schools and buses in the city will not run until Wednesday at the earliest. Rubbish bins would be collected as usual.

Mayor Bob Parker said the scale of the disaster was becoming clearer as the day went on.

The cordon around the central business area is expected to be reduced later tonight, but Parker said businesses in the inner-city area wold not be open tomorrow. Employers were urged to take the responsibility to contact staff and advise them if they were needed tomorrow.

The state of emergency, due to expire at noon tomorrow, would be reviewed but Parker hinted it may be extended. Parker said fatigue was becoming the new enemy for volunteers, many of whom had been working since the earthquake struck. He and emergency services were concerned about a forecast weather event predicted in the next 36 hours.



Key points:

* Major council-owned facilities, including AMI Stadium and the new civic building undamaged

* Up to 20 percent of city residents still have no potable water

* 200 breakages on water mains pipes around Christchurch

* 26 key breaks in wasterwater system detected so far, probably more

* Inner-city cordon area to be reduced later tonight

* Riverbed survey being done to evaluate if river beds have changed path

Schools, hospitals to shut

Schools are shut for two days and Christchurch Hospital has cancelled all non-acute surgery for Monday, while officials keep a wary eye on the Waimakariri river this evening. All schools in earthquake-ravaged Canterbury have been closed for the next two days, Civil Defence has just announced.

And the CDHB has announced Christchurch Hospital will not be conducting any non-urgent surgery on Monday.

Meanwhile work is progressing to lift cordons closing off the central city, and some could be lifted by the end of the day.

"Given the considerable disruption to the region and the number of earthquake-related issues affecting Canterbury hospital staff, a decision has been made to reduce deferrable hospital services,'' CDHB chief executive David Meates said.

"This includes all arranged admissions for Christchurch, Christchurch Women's and Burwood Hospitals. Affected patients are being contacted."

Christchurch Women's Hospital caesarean sections and inductions of labour will however continue as scheduled.


CD officials say that under the Civil Defence Act 2002, it is closing all schools in Christchurch, Selwyn, and Kaiapoi for two days.

"The closure of all schools - both state and private - is supported by health authorities and has been done in consultation with the Ministry of Education, a CD spokesman said.

It has been done primarily to ensure the health of students and teachers. It will also give time for proper structural assessments of school buildings following the September 4 earthquake and aftershocks.

The Secretary for Education, Karen Sewell, says these school closures are advisable in the best interests of safety and continued assessment of school property.

"This allows more time for structural assessment of school buildings and grounds."

"Safety is paramount and the time will be used for the ongoing assessments to ensure school buildings are safe and to make sure water and sanitation is clean in school grounds," Mrs Sewell says.

School boards and ECE service providers/licensees in other areas can make the decision to close individual schools or services.

"It may be than other schools and boards decide to remain closed initially until they are satisfied that structures and sanitation are safe," Mrs Swell said.

Waimakariri could be evacuated as river rises

Civil Defence Minister John Carter has said heavy rain may cause people near the Waimakariri to be evacuated. He said officials were aware stop-banks - which provide protection to lower lying areas - had been damaged in the quake.

''We are mindful the weather is going to turn nasty. We have taken steps to address that.

''If there is significant rain that might cause some swelling of the rivers and we are aware that the stock banks have been damaged.

''We are looking to see if we can remedy the damage or put in place an evacuation. It's people's safety that is paramount. Waimakariri is the area we are most concerned about.''

Mr Carter said people should check in with their elderly neighbours to make sure they were safe and warm. Torches and other survival equipment should be kept close by, he said.

The public response so far had made him ''proud to be a Kiwi.'' He said the Canterbury quake was significant ''worldwide'' event. ''It's major, major.''

"I visited the affected areas yesterday afternoon and it is not until you get there on the ground that you are aware of what a significant natural disaster this has been," Mr Carter said.

He will brief the Cabinet at 11am tomorrow. Funding the rebuild, and a contribution to the mayoral fund would be discussed, but he could not yet say how much money would be provided.

"The Government wants to work with Cantabrians to get life back to normal as soon as possible and Cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss this issue.

"As Civil Defence Minister I believe our civil defence emergency management system is working exactly as it should. All the people on the ground in Canterbury are doing amazing job and the media have run extra programmes and bulletins to keep people informed."

Aftershocks continue

Aftershocks are continuing to rumble through Christchurch as the central city remains in lockdown. Two large aftershocks struck earlier today, the largest of which measured 5.0 on the Richter scale.

Central Christchurch remains in lockdown, but the city council's building evaluation team has now assessed about half of the cordoned-off area of the central city.

The council says cordons will be lifted as soon as Police and Civil Defence are satisfied that the area is safe.

Where the cordons are:

Colombo Street at Brougham to the south and Kilmore to the north.

Madras Street at Hereford and Kilmore

Montreal from St Asaph


The council says the immediate priority is to move the cordon from Montreal Street to Durham Street. At this stage good progress is being made, and they are hoping to have that area reopened by the end of the day.

The next priority area will be the cordon area north of the Cathedral Square. The team is continuing with the process of evaluation as quickly as possible. However Civil Defence says some areas could remain no-go areas for weeks.

Civil defence head David Hamilton said teams of structural engineers were in place, scouring buildings for damage prioritised by which were crucial to critical to the functioning of the CBD.

''It could be weeks [as in] some cases overseas. Until a building has been rendered safe by demolition, in some cases. You just have to keep people away because its too risky.

''The number of buildings that have been damaged is quite high. It's a big task.''

Although two local civil defence centres closed because they weren't needed, he expected demand to increase tonight because of bad weather.

Resources, such as tarpaulins, to make buildings weathertight could be deployed by air, but there was no demand for them at yet, he said.

New Zealand had turned down offers of support from the US military, based in Hawaii, and the UN he said. This was met with surprise, he said. The army and Burnham and some additional troops in Linton are available to help police but so far weren't required, he said.

Ninety per cent of the city has power, he said. But there are issues in the rural areas with power and drinking water.

Police are manning checkpoints around the city's centre, and only residents and hotel guests are being allowed through.

The cordons are in place to protect the public from falling rubble and to prevent looting, police say. Engineers are now assessing the stability of many of the inner city's buildings.

Back-up water supply arrives

Meanwhile, a train carrying almost 300,000 litres of fresh water from Temuka has arrived in Christchurch.

A KiwiRail spokeswoman said the water was currently sitting at Middleton Yard in Addington, and was available if needed. The spokeswoman said rail links to Christchurch from the south had been restored last night, allowing the delivery of supplies into the region.

However, trains were operating under stringent speed restrictions. She said the earthquake had had "quite a big hit" at Kaiapoi, with about five kilometres of track requiring repair work.

However, the line north of Rangiora to Picton was fine, allowing supplies to be delivered by rail to Rangiora and taken by road to Christchurch.

The spokeswoman said track repairs on the Midland line between Rolleston and Darfield were expected to be completed today. A decision on when the line would re-open to be made later this afternoon.


St John reports many calls to ambulance services


St John have had steady calls to ambulance communications throughout the night following yesterday morning’s earthquake.

St John has first aid teams on rosters stationed at the three welfare centres at Linwood College, Burnside High School and Addington Racecourse. These teams have dealt with some very minor injuries (cuts and bruises) as well as providing care and reassurance to worried and anxious people.

St John encourage members of the community to look after each other and check on their neighbours, particularly any elderly or unwell neighbours.

Civil Defence advises caution

Civil Defence authorities are advising Christchurch residents, especially those in badly affected areas or with significant damage to their properties, to ensure they continue to have contingency plans in place, especially as bad weather is forecast for the Canterbury region.

Jon Mitchell, Canterbury Emergency Management Office Emergency Manager, says that as the emergency enters day two, residents need to look at their longer term plans and prepare for the emergency to continue into next week at least.

“As residents return to their homes or begin to assess damage, they need to be aware of a cold weather front moving across Canterbury throughout the day.

"The forecast indicates that the front will reach Canterbury around mid-morning today, bringing the strong possibility of gale-force winds early on Sunday, followed by rain in the west of the region by Monday.

"The wind may cause further damage to properties and make ongoing repairs difficult,” said Mr Mitchell.

"People should remain in their homes and avoid non-essential travel whenever possible, and make provisions to stay with friends or relatives for at least the next 24-48 hours, possibly longer.”

Mr Mitchell said that aftershocks are likely to continue and emergency services, local government and voluntary sector personnel are actively supporting affected communities.

Structural engineers are assessing damage. You can report damage to you local council and seek advice from welfare assistance by calling 0800 77 9997. Residents are advised to be patient, as these lines will be busy.

Hundreds of buildings damaged

More than 500 buildings in Christchurch are damaged after the massive earthquake in Canterbury early yesterday morning, which caused billions of dollars of damage, cut water and power, and triggered large aftershocks.

Central Christchurch streets are piled with rubble, cordoned off and after the magnitude 7.1 quake, which hit at 4.35am.

Buildings and infrastructure were damaged throughout the city and region, and strong winds forecast for today could cause more problems. The Christchurch City Council said in a statement that of the 500 damaged buildings, more than 90 were in the central city area.

While there had been damage to minor bridges, major ones had withstood the quake. However, some roads had been closed due to liquefaction or flooding.

Some residents left their homes, taking shelter at three welfare centres set up in the city yesterday. The council reported about 50 people at Addington Raceway, 109 at Burnside High School, and 85 at Linwood College.

The centres would remain open as long as they were needed, and people were asked to take their own bedding and toiletries. The central city would remain cordoned off and there would be no public access before Monday, with the exception of residents, the council said. People were urged to minimise travel.

The council's building evaluation team would inspect all buildings within the central zone, tagging red placards to buildings considered unsafe, yellow on buildings assigned restricted use, and green on buildings with no restrictions.

The council said it hoped to have the damage assessment completed today, and the yellow and green tagged buildings cleaned up on Monday.



Quake over, but fear remains

They were dragged from their sleep at 4:36am, confused and terrified as an earthquake tore the ground apart, buckling roads, remaking the landscape and wrecking homes and shops.

Yet as yesterday dawned Canterbury residents could barely believe they had got through the country's most damaging earthquake since the 1931 Napier disaster with so little loss of life.

The 7.1 magnitude quake, centred 40km west of Christchurch, shut down the central city and caused up to $2 billion in property damage, but the human toll appears to be just one death - a heart attack during the quake - and the serious injury of two men hit by window glass and chimney bricks.

By late morning there was an period of panic that at times threatened to turn ugly.

Supermarkets sold out of water amid scenes one witness described as ''like something from a UN aid mission in Africa''. Patches of central Christchurch were gridlocked as residents rushed to fill up with petrol before the pumps ran dry. They didn't.

Then the panic passed. Those who had been utterly terrified during that endless shaking were left under a glorious spring sun looking at a CBD that resembled a war zone.

The petrol-pump gridlock was replaced by a surge of rubber-neckers heading for the Christchurch inner city. Scratchy-eyed from the early start but twitchy with adrenaline, the city took on a carnival atmosphere as strangers compared notes, and teenagers with cellphones chattered and took photos amid the rubble.

Vodafone boss Paul Brislen eventually asked TVNZ to stop asking for people to send in images and video clips because there were concerns the stressed cellphone network might choke under the strain.

One wedding party, unable to dine at a wrecked restaurant, relocated to McDonalds, and the photographer shot the newly-weds against the rubble.

Throughout the day media arrived to collect stories of survival, but also of strangeness like the Victoria St clock-tower frozen at 24 minutes to five, the swimming pool that popped from its hole, the sandy mud that bubbled from the ground, and the tragedy of Gidro the lemur, who drowned at Orana Wildlife Park.

And all those shattered brick chimneys, scattered across the roofs of timber-framed homes that flexed with the quake and survived.

The damage is severe, yet haphazard. Head out from the city centre and you can drive for kilometres without seeing anything unusual, then suddenly there's a stretch of torn tarmac and ruined shop frontages.

Yesterday there was an astonishing atmosphere of resilience and even relief, as a community rallied and shared its bottled water with neighbours. Early reports of looting in the dawn hours were later discounted by police, who said there had been nothing more than ''minor'' disorder.

Sunday Star-Times reporter Lois Cairns said even those who had lost almost everything were remarkably upbeat as they faced the heartbreaking task of sifting through broken possessions or saying goodbye to the wreckage of the family home.

But the fear isn't quite over yet. As blogger Samuel Williams put it, the angst didn't end with the big shake; the aftershocks kept coming all day, some of them very strong and others ''like groans deep from the earth, barely perceptible rumbles on the edge of your hearing''.

One of the largest, with a magnitude of 5.4, struck just before 5pm last night. Today, Cantabrians will be hyper-alert for more, though the risk of large shocks falls away sharply after 48 hours.

Yesterday, the adrenaline kept Canterbury going, but today comes the reckoning. The Earthquake Commission reckons damage claims could reach hundreds of millions of dollars for houses alone; and up to $2 billion in total.

Last night, Christchurch CBD was still locked down. Eighty Auckland police officers flew into the city to bolster the stretched local force and police warned that those breaking last night's 7pm to 7am curfew would be arrested.

The state of emergency is expected to remain in place today, to allow contractors to reduce the risk from falling debris. Last night Prime Minister John Key said the Army would be helping with disaster relief from tomorrow.

The gas leaks and powercuts, and burst water mains will be put right in the coming day and weeks. Fixing every cracked road, buckled railway line and damaged house will take much longer.

Yesterday a psychologist told the Sunday Star-Times that parents should not be surprised if children experienced an ''acute stress reaction'' for up to a month.

The nightmares may indeed fade that fast, but for adults and children, the impact of yesterday's big quake will resonate for years.

Davee, just received an email from the family out in Oxford, their house was undamaged as was Oxford centre, they still have power and water. Have been told not travel out of town,as some roads are damaged.
My son in Rangiora, also reports (to his knowledge) little damage to homes or the town centre, only a few homes flooded ,due to burst pipes.
But Woodend and Kaiapoi were without power and water, with flooding in Kaiapoi due to fractured sewage system, not good.

Good to hear that the family is ok. Mine are all well too.....thank God!

I know all you guys have had it ruff - but believe me, for us homeboys and adopeted sons like Woody - being here away from our city and family and friends has been the most awful experience.........the feeling to total uselessness and not being able to be with you all.......is just:ohno:

Thank God you are all OK and that the mayor, government and people are pulling together and getting our city back on track! :banana:

^^ You'll be proud to know, Davee, that unlike other occasions, Civil Defence have been fantastic. They have handled the situation well, briefed people well, deployed people efficiently and kept the public well informed - at least from my perspective. To continue the praise I guess you'd better hear it from someone on the ground. ;)

Also impressive (though I don't like the guy) was the way that John Key spoke on the subject. He appeared very well informed for someone who had only just stepped off a plane. Good stuff all round that shows that NZ can handle itself when disaster hits at least. :)

I'm very proud and well impressed with Everyone.........just amazing......must be all those good English genes we have ehh Svarty ;)

I hope everyone in Christchurch is all right and everything returns to normal quickly. We are think of you from across the ditch.

Saw some photos this morning off NZ Herald of building frontages just falling into the street and exposing intact rooms to everyone on the street.

I think NZ previous biggest earthquake was in Napier in 1930's?? Was this one bigger than that one?

This one was 7.1 which made it 12= on the list of biggest earthquakes in New Zealand.

Of note:

1 September 1888 North Canterbury 7.1
9 March 1929 Arthur's Pass 7.1

Note also Fiordland 7.8 in 2009. (remote and unpopulated)

http://www.xtupload.com/new/image-BBF0_4C84A140.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_New_Zealand

interesting to note ( i did not know ) that after the infamous napier earthquake which was 7.8, there was a huge aftershock 10 days later, 7.3 on the scale, so Christchurch will be on edge for some time yet - they did say the after shocks will gradually lessen in strength, but some people are saying that a large aftershock close to the size of the original quake may happen in chch, like here in hawkes bay. :(

dbl post

Can not sleep. So much activity in the last half hour.

Had what must have been a 5 about 15 minutes ago. Another big one just now. This one went for 15 seconds and knocked some things off the bench, the building was really shaking. Went tearing up to my sons room, he slept through them.

Thats it I officially wanna get out of town now.

Can not sleep. So much activity in the last half hour.

Had what must have been a 5 about 15 minutes ago. Another big one just now. This one went for 15 seconds and knocked some things off the bench, the building was really shaking. Went tearing up to my sons room, he slept through them.

Thats it I officially wanna get out of town now.

Hang in there Luka...........

Cheers ears, Im just being a big girls blouse. :eek: Sleep would help.

And yeah, a couple of 5's....

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html

those ones last night were freaky! I wonder how my mum is going to cope. she has been in Dunedin for the last week, so she only felt the main earthquake.
and there was a 5.2 up near Napier.
I'm not sure if I felt the one at 3.30, but I am really tired. I guess aftershocks is something that one can kind of get used to.

really makes you feel thankful for living in a "generally" earthquake free zone. Hope New Zealand Recovers quickly.

really makes you feel thankful for living in a "generally" earthquake free zone.
I thought I was! In my decision to move to Chch, that was a big plus.

I thought a 7+ Earthquake was surely gonna hit Wellington before Chch.

^^ I agree with you Rooty. Although I never thought this day would happen, my best bet was Wellington would be the one to get hit.

That was one of the deciding factors as to why I chose Christchurch.

Just saw some CCTV footage of the quake in the news. Will post when it goes to youtube. Watching it brought it all back no wonder I was thrown all over the place.

There was also a minor quake in Wellington registering 4.0 today. no damage was reported.

(9am, 8 September 2010)8 September 2010

Mayor Bob Parker has called for calm following this morning’s major aftershock.
People are asked to avoid travelling and to stay at home with family if it is safe to do so. Many traffic lights are not functioning and there are some road blocks.

Please listen to your radio for further updates.

Ends.

Hey all, thank you very much for the texts, messages of support, posts after this mornings drama. Its much much much appreciated. Buildings cleared, I am back. But only me tonight. Ive got everything ready for a quick getaway should it be needed- insurance will cover hotel rooms, its just nice to stay home. Got a great bottle of wine and St Elmos Fire on C4 to help me out.

I dont want this to be all about me though. The reality is all of the Christchurch guys, whether they are in town or overseas are feeling stressed at the moment. We're all dealing with it in different ways. It just happens that Im not working right now, am incredibly sleep deprived, like to blether away and am often online- so you are going to hear a bit from me.

We all know we are meant to get a 6, I thought the one at 8am was that big aftershock. Pretty upset to find out weve still got to go through that one.

Hey all, thank you very much for the texts, messages of support, posts after this mornings drama. Its much much much appreciated. Buildings cleared, I am back. But only me tonight. Ive got everything ready for a quick getaway should it be needed- insurance will cover hotel rooms, its just nice to stay home. Got a great bottle of wine and St Elmos Fire on C4 to help me out.

I dont want this to be all about me though. The reality is all of the Christchurch guys, whether they are in town or overseas are feeling stressed at the moment. We're all dealing with it in different ways. It just happens that Im not working right now, am incredibly sleep deprived, like to blether away and am often online- so you are going to hear a bit from me.

We all know we are meant to get a 6, I thought the one at 8am was that big aftershock. Pretty upset to find out weve still got to go through that one.

You blab away Luka - you're our man on the ground - all be it shakey at the moment. What you and the other home boys are going through is just unthinkable for many people who have not experienced the ring of fire lifestyle.

This home boy - who is as far away from the action as can be, is with you a 100% and totaly with you in spirit!

Love ya mate and take care through the night guys!

I knew all day and night with nothing of note would provide us with something like that!

I have no idea what that means 'dicty. Lack of sleep addling your brain?

Last night got my first decent sleep! First time we slept in our own beds too.

Just the one quake woke us up. Bit more activity this morning.

Some confusion as to whether the cordon will be lifted today. Most of the cbd is open though, although many shops arent yet. Dont even bother trying to drive through there. Still lots of streets closed; Victoria, Lichfield, Rolleston, Manchester. Riccarton Rd was closed for a few hours yesterday as they took down a few buildings.

Saw Mr Parker running along Gloucester Street yesterday towards the Civil Defense hub. Had an entourage of 5 with him, they looked like they were having trouble keeping up. Man of action or what.

Jeez, can't imagine the stress down there with these aftershocks. Glad all you CHCH guys are still with us. The PM is right it was a miracle nobody was lost.

Hoping things settle down soon and the city can begin to rebuild and start getting back to normal life.

Yep, hang in there Chch people - our thoughts are with you!

Mums sick of it all - so we're going up to hanmer for the night tomorrow. Big thanks to the Alpine Lodge Motel for allowing us on such short notice to book two rooms (at $160 per night, so $320 all up) have them for $140 for both rooms for the night! All cause we're from Christchurch! And on the Hanmer website there are plenty of cheap Earthquake Specials! 2A + 3C entry to the pools - only $10!

I'm also really glad to hear stories like yours, Indictable. It's great when private companies turn out to support the community by doing things like that.

I have no idea what that means 'dicty. Lack of sleep addling your brain?

Last night got my first decent sleep! First time we slept in our own beds too.

Just the one quake woke us up. Bit more activity this morning..

Luka, I got a 3 page email from my lad in Rangiora, and he said their biggest problem was sleep deprivation. The aftershocks are depriving them of normal sleep, so after 7 days they are are exhausted. How are you coping ?

The Rangi` brew house is still serving beer,:cheers: so you stay safe and I will let you know when we organise next years visit.

It might sound a tad sadistic lol but any viral video of the quake? Iv never experienced a 'proper' earthquake and perhaps i dont want to.. the closest was that 4.1 or thereabouts off the coast of Auckland a couple of years back, i was watching tele and the house did a sort of sway then righted itself and that was it, was definitely an odd feeling thats for sure. Comparatively nothing to write home about im sure you'll agree however. I find most natural disasters, be it tsunamis, earthquakes etc, ultimately intriguing (not so much the carnage that comes with). As has been mentioned, from what i'v seen on the news i'v been nothing but impressed with Key, Parker and the gang, the CD etc. Good job Chch, hope the recovery has, is and will be speedy.:cheers:

^^ Shit Id be curious too if I hadnt been through it myself.

There are a couple of crappy unimpressive vids, in store security cams posted on youtube. Dont bother with them. None of them give any indication of how noisy it was or how violently things were shaking.

There is also a real dull vid of some family in their lounge. Shit the lack of any activity makes me think they were about 400kms from the epicentre. They seemed like they were on xanax as well.

Just imagine its dark and running around the house in the full nuddy, tripping over stuff and screaming like a girl. THATS HOW IT WAS!!!! At my place at least.

Luka, I got a 3 page email from my lad in Rangiora, and he said their biggest problem was sleep deprivation. The aftershocks are depriving them of normal sleep, so after 7 days they are are exhausted. How are you coping ?

The Rangi` brew house is still serving beer,:cheers: so you stay safe and I will let you know when we organise next years visit.

Cheers mate.

I think the city has all got fatigue now. Walked into town today and im really over it. East of Colombo Street is still a mess. I just want to see the city cleaned up now.

Still getting aftershocks but as the days go by theres less and less chance of the major aftershock we were told to expect.

On the whole the populace are holding up well. Its something else to see groups of people standing on corners staring at what was there. Strangers are talking to each other, asking how theyve been coping. I expect that to change though, lack of sleep, dealing with the realities etc, might get unpleasant soon.

Went to Avonside on the weekend. The way that ground was ripped apart, the forces causing that were nothing short of awesome.

^^ Shit Id be curious too if I hadnt been through it myself.

There are a couple of crappy unimpressive vids, in store security cams posted on youtube. Dont bother with them. None of them give any indication of how noisy it was or how violently things were shaking.

There is also a real dull vid of some family in their lounge. Shit the lack of any activity makes me think they were about 400kms from the epicentre. They seemed like they were on xanax as well.

Just imagine its dark and running around the house in the full nuddy, tripping over stuff and screaming like a girl. THATS HOW IT WAS!!!! At my place at least.

Yeah saw those ones, think the one with the family and the lights swinging (think thats the one u were referring to) was just after. The guy says something like 'the lights are still swinging'. Anyhow yeah it must have been carnage, like the devil himself was trying to break up through the earth hehe. Crazy you're stll getting aftershocks what 9 days after.. Stiff booze for the fatigue, but looking at some of the last posts seems u have already tried that. All the best mate

Wierd.

The lake that formed in North Hagley Park during the quake has completely disappeared. The waters seeped back into the earth.

Apparently the island at Kerrs Reach which houses Porritt Park Hockey Stadium and also the rowing clubs is unstable too. The river is trying to claim that land back.

The News about CHC has all died down here, But I was wondering how the ongoing effects of the quake are being taken care of,It was so tragic to lose those buildings and a portion of the infrastructure, Still cant belive there were no direct fatalities!.

^^ Its pretty much died down in the national media too. Although obvious features highly locally.

Now the emergency is behind us its just down to work at getting things back together. Different groups (some working in conjunction) getting onto it.

As has been said before most parts of the city are fine and life continues as normal. Some suburbs are still a mess and this is where we continue to see big problems. There are homes which are still judged liveable, this despite having no running water or connected sewerage. Life for this people is incredibly hard. There are reports they may have to wait upwards of a year for the infrastructure to be back to normal. Some areas, swathes of Bexley and Kaiapoi will be returned to nature. But then apparently home should never have been built on that land.

CBD is still a bit of a ghost town which I find really sad. A number of small retailers/restaurants still not opened/wont reopened. Some blocks/still closed off, makes getting around the cbd a confusing chore. Who recovers from this we wont know but the cities retail will be very different once things have sorted themselves out.

Am aware that a number of tourists have cancelled trips to Christchurch in light of this. This isnt necessary, you could easily have a couple of days here and not be affected by the quakes aftermath. Plenty still open, most buildings unscathed. We kind of can do with extra tourists, get a bit more money pumping around at street level.

Emotionally Ive seen many people are really suffering. A number of people at the lower end have lost their jobs. Cafe, bar, retail staff namely. Some family dairies gone too. At least the business owners have insurance to rely on, however now they are in a situation where they literally have to reassess their lives and wonder what to do from here.

There is a bottleneck on rental accommodation. Many older crappy flats which house the likes of students, unemployed, refugees were red stickered. While there was still plenty of accom out there its been snapped up by families who lost their homes and are waiting to find out if they rebuild.

So psychologically some people are in a bad way. We are led to believe there shouldnt be another 5+, thats a relief. When we were all expecting a massive aftershock their was a real tense air throughout the city. But throw in continued lack of sleep from the current tremors, some job losses. Soon we will see people getting frustrated at the percieved slow pace of rebuilding and many other etc etc etcs theres going to be a bit more work for the likes of me over the coming year.

Thankyou for the Time you put in with these Posts :cheers:

^^ Its pretty much died down in the national media too. Although obvious features highly locally.

Now the emergency is behind us its just down to work at getting things back together. Different groups (some working in conjunction) getting onto it.

As has been said before most parts of the city are fine and life continues as normal. Some suburbs are still a mess and this is where we continue to see big problems. There are homes which are still judged liveable, this despite having no running water or connected sewerage. Life for this people is incredibly hard. There are reports they may have to wait upwards of a year for the infrastructure to be back to normal. Some areas, swathes of Bexley and Kaiapoi will be returned to nature. But then apparently home should never have been built on that land.

CBD is still a bit of a ghost town which I find really sad. A number of small retailers/restaurants still not opened/wont reopened. Some blocks/still closed off, makes getting around the cbd a confusing chore. Who recovers from this we wont know but the cities retail will be very different once things have sorted themselves out.

Am aware that a number of tourists have cancelled trips to Christchurch in light of this. This isnt necessary, you could easily have a couple of days here and not be affected by the quakes aftermath. Plenty still open, most buildings unscathed. We kind of can do with extra tourists, get a bit more money pumping around at street level.

Emotionally Ive seen many people are really suffering. A number of people at the lower end have lost their jobs. Cafe, bar, retail staff namely. Some family dairies gone too. At least the business owners have insurance to rely on, however now they are in a situation where they literally have to reassess their lives and wonder what to do from here.

There is a bottleneck on rental accommodation. Many older crappy flats which house the likes of students, unemployed, refugees were red stickered. While there was still plenty of accom out there its been snapped up by families who lost their homes and are waiting to find out if they rebuild.

So psychologically some people are in a bad way. We are led to believe there shouldnt be another 5+, thats a relief. When we were all expecting a massive aftershock their was a real tense air throughout the city. But throw in continued lack of sleep from the current tremors, some job losses. Soon we will see people getting frustrated at the percieved slow pace of rebuilding and many other etc etc etcs theres going to be a bit more work for the likes of me over the coming year.

Im still blown away by the number of aftershocks we are getting. We can go days without anything discernable then get big ones for days on end. Friday nights aftershock was pretty decent, I had a friend at the sports awards and he said when the quake got the biggest cheer of the night. Martin Devlin was there and he said he was scared shutless and just wanted to leave town, "If a 4.6 can be so scarey I cant even imagine what a 7.1 was like".


For the record weve already had our quake for today. An hour ago. Touch wood its the only quake for today.

Got the morning off, going to see the Manchester Unity building while its still standing, I think demolition is starting today. Feels bad man.

Went to visit a friend who lives in the Avon Loop over the weekend. The state of the roads was a huge eye opener. Its like bushbashing, can only drive 20k's and youre all over the place. Very few people remain in their street, they can still live in their house at least.

bye bye Manchester Unity....see you soon ML!!

Bloody heck this mornings biggie was a real corker. My workplace is structurally sound but they've still asked us to leave until the engineers clear it.

Saw the demolition vehicles rolling onto Hereford/Manchester corner yesterday. Honestly I would not be surprised after the shakes weve gotten in the last 48 hours if this building doesnt topple over at any moment.

Crikey, just this second another one. Maybe only a 3 though!!!!

See you soon Davee. Get ready for some shaking baby!

My dad's down there at the moment. He sells concrete waterproofing and concrete fibre products. Potentially great for us but cruelly unfortunate for Cantabrians.

Another big aftershock... When will they end?

Another big aftershock... When will they end?

Agreed.When will it ever end? :bash:

Too much I tell you!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/video.cfm?c_id=1&gal_cid=1502728&gallery_id=114606

o.k.....so after approx 45 days, after the initial quake (yep) we have a magnitude 5 quake.

Similar to that of same aftershock, felt the same day after the initial 7.1 surge.

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/3366452g.html


I'm not a happy camper...and I'm a JAFFA :(

I think although the aftershocks are settliung down, the percentage of 4.5+ is growing..

I think although the aftershocks are settliung down, the percentage of 4.5+ is growing..

^^
Yeah..its not good
My thoughts goes out to all those affected..

Has anyone heard of anyone i.e. geophysicist types, offering any theories why it is still going? And what the outlook is?

Oh those who don't live on faults..

Aftershocks rock all your quakes all the time.. Maybe not so much if somewhere had a 3.5 for the first quake in years, but they certainly are there..

The intensity of this brand new fault line is unstable, simple as that. Time will allow it to settle a little bit (yes, I know that a fault will never settle, but you know what I mean).

I don't live anywhere near a major fault line and even i knew that!!!! The land has to get used to it's new position and it takes time. Strongest i have ever felt in leeds was a 5.4 in feb 2007. My thoughts go out to the people of Christchurch!!

I think the time aftershocks go for are roughly proportional to the time between quakes on a particular fault line, so if it was 18,000 years since the last one on this fault, they could could go for a looooooooong time.
also since we have practically no 'background' activity.
We have had less than 20 magnitude 3.0 to 3.9 since the beginning of this year in the general Canterbury area, and quite literally nothing at all where the big one happened.
between the beginning of 2000, and the 7.1 quake, we have had 15 magnitude 3 quakes within 30km of Christchurch, and only one near the epicentre of the 7.1, in 2004.
the nearest magnitude 4 quake in the last 10 years is a bit more than 30km away.

to figure this out, I used the quake search on Geonet, and selected an area to about 100km away from Christchurch, and exported the data as a kml for Google Earth, where I measured distances.

I would say the quakes in the last 2 months already would be at least 10 times as much as what we have had in the last 10 years before that.

because the background activity is practically zero, and the aftershocks are only over once we return to the background activity, the aftershocks could even go on for 10 years.
I am pretty sure what we are getting now, with the magnitude 5's every week or so, would probably be the background activity in some places.
(there are about 1300 magnitude 5.0 to 5.9 quakes each year around the world (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php).)

Oh those who don't live on faults..

I don't live anywhere near a major fault line and even i knew that!!!!

Haha, silly me. I suppose you poor sweeties are sick and tired of the whole topic. I'm just interested in all natural things, thanks for the info.

I live 15km from the Darling Fault, which is one of the biggest fault lines in Australia. It is a darling though, because it hasn’t made a peep for half a billion years.

It's entirely possible that there may be more large quakes to come, and not just in Christchurch. Ever since the Samoa quake/tsunami a year ago, there have continued to be regular large, quite sizeable quakes in that region.

According to this very interesting blog (http://wildland.owdjim.gen.nz/?p=962), NZ has had clusters of large quakes over many years in the past.

During the 13 years from 1929, New Zealand was relentlessly hammered by nine viciously large earthquakes and their associated aftershocks, causing major damage to infrastructure, and death, injury and personal hardship in an economy reeling from depression and the onset of war.

They were:
1929, March 9th, Arthur’s Pass, magnitude 6.9, felt over the whole country.
1929, June 16th, Buller (Murchison), magnitude 7.8, locally destructive, 17 deaths.
1931, February 3rd, Hawke’s Bay, magnitude 7.9, severe regional damage, firestorms, 256 deaths.
1931, February 13th, Hawke’s Bay aftershock, magnitude 7.3.
1931, May 5th, Poverty Bay, magnitude 6+, damage in Gisborne.
1932, September 16th, Wairoa, magnitude 6.8, damage in Gisborne and Wairoa.
1934, March 5th, Pahiatua, magnitude 7.6, damage in Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, 1 death.
1942, June 24th, Southern Wairarapa, magnitude 7.0, damage in Wairarapa and Wellington.
1942, August 1st, Southern Wairarapa, magnitude 7.1, local damage.

The writer goes on to ask

Do the seven earthquakes with magnitudes over 6.5 experienced since 2006 indicate the commencement of another active period? This burst of activity includes the southern Kermadec quake of May 2006 (magnitude 7.5), The Gisborne quake of 2007 (magnitude 6.9), the Dusky Sound quake of July 2009 (magnitude 7.2) and this month’s Darfield quake (magnitude 7.1).

It's not a nice prospect, but perhaps people should wake up to the fact that NZ truly does live up to its name as the Shaky Isles. I was stunned to read that 70% of ppl responded to a survey did not have a 'survival kit' with such basic supplies as a torch/batteries and bottles of water. I remember the days when the back cover of the phone book was dedicated to offering this advice.

After a couple of days of crazy CRAZY shaking suddenly its gone all quiet. Excuse my French, but today was so fucking calm it was such a fucking relief. You could feel the tension in the city yesterday, many people on edge, but thankfully today was so much calmer.

Thank you earth gods! Everything must be cool now. :shifty:

Hang in there buddy. It really is dragging on isn't it.

Big thank you to the organisers, artists, volunteers, council, in fact everybody who made yesterdays free concert possible.

I few for a couple of hours, highlight for me was OpShop!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/canterbury-earthquake/4266161/100-000-of-us-banded-together

Christchurch has successfully staged one of the biggest free outdoor concerts ever to be held in New Zealand, raising $17.5 million for the Red Cross earthquake relief fund.

Crowd number estimates ranged from around 110,000 for the finale at 8pm to nearly 200,000 in the late afternoon.

Earlier in the day officials put the crowd at an estimated 135,000 to 140,000.

TV3, which broadcast the entire show live, raised $17.5m for earthquake victims with its appeal.

The day went without a hitch, with thousands holding picnics on the grass beyond the stage and around the riverbanks as the sun shone.

Large queues formed for food and drink, with many waiting for icecream.

The audience, a mix of all age groups, appeared good natured with emergency services reporting few problems.

Police reported no trouble apart from "lost children" and St John transported one person to hospital who was suffering from a medical condition.

Chris Haines, St John Regional Operations Manager said staff had a ``busy and enjoyable'' throughout the concert.

``St John had 14 events team members and eight vehicles on site throughout the nine hour show - including golf carts which were used to transport patients, and a paramedic who was able to respond to incidents on a bicycle.

``Our team had an enjoyable day, and were impressed with the behaviour of the crowd, who were enjoying themselves and having fun in the great weather,'' he said.

St John treated 130 people throughout the day. Most were for minor injuries or minor medical conditions.

``Types of cases we dealt with included cuts to people's feet, bleeding noses, asthma, and requests for sunscreen or paracetamol,'' Haines said.

Six people were taken to Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department for minor conditions.

``Half of these were related to alcohol, but we saw surprisingly few cases relating to alcohol throughout the day, which was pleasing,'' he said.

Mayor Bob Parker completed a guitar solo with his favourite band The Bats, to much applause from the crowd.

Ad Feedback The Exponents, The Feelers, Dave Dobbyn and Bic Runga capped the night with a singalong rendition of crowd favourite Christchurch (In Cashel Street I Wait).

Mayor Bob Parker said the gig was a strong part of the city's recovery process.



edit. nice little shake just this second. the boy looking over his shoulder. my hearts a pumping.

:)

Be9HypMclyU?

Ni8SgVtP-Wc?

edit. nice little shake just this second. the boy looking over his shoulder. my hearts a pumping.

Our first quake centred offshore. Wonder if thats significant???
A 4.8 epicentre 200 metres from the beach at Bottle Lake Forest, only just north of Waimairi Beach.

I love geonet.com