ANOTHER big earthquake in Christchurch

[Dave Olds]

Hey there Nick.

I am really glad to hear that you and your family are safe. My thoughts are certainly with you, and will be over the coming weeks.

[Dennis Leahy]

... Our little family unit is OK, everybody's a bit shaken (excuse the pun) but even I'm starting to get well and truly f**ked off with this stuff.
... we have our lives so nothings too bad. ...
On limited internet time but just thought I'd check in to let everybody know I'm still breathing. Will update when I'm able but thanks everybody for thinking of me, very touching .

Nick,

So glad to hear you and your family are OK!

Whatever you Kiwis did to piss off the Subterranean Goddess, tell her you're very sorry!

I have a few dollars to donate toward your broken stuff fund - where do I send it? (I'm serious.)

Dennis

[Clancy]

Thank the cosmos your safe Nick.

*cough cough* Just clearing the dust from my throat.

I think our government is sending over a plane load of 'Dust Busters'. Hope they help.
And we'll probably let you win the cricket tonight, you know, as a gesture between friends.

[Mike Thomas]

We're very relieved to hear you and yours are o.k. Nick.

[Lillian]

Sweet to hear from you Nick. I'm relieved to hear that the family unit is okay.

[Bob Connor]

Great to hear you are OK Nick.

[Kim]

Very relieved that you and yours are OK Nick. Must be a horrible feeling around CC at the moment, can only imagine the bewilderment and express my sympathy and sincere condolences to any of those in your community who may have suffered the loss of a loved one.

Keep safe buddy

Kim

[Shane Neifer]

We've been picking bits and pieces up on the news. I too am glad to hear that Nick and others are OK (besides the lose of house and or property!) and that Martin your family is well also. My heart sure goes out for those less fortunate.......Hope you guys can find 'normal' soon!

Shane

[Puff]

Grateful there is no thing to blame for this. All energy can go toward helping and rebuilding without the waste of malice or yelling "not fair". One small blessing in a sad time.

[seeaxe]

When Julia Gillard (Aus PM) was over here a week or so ago, she made the point that the first people to offer help during the last quake and Pike river mine disaster was Aus, and the first people to offer help to Aus after the floods and cyclones were the Kiwis.

The first overseas S and R teams in CHCH were Aussies.

At times like this, you do realise how lucky we are to have such good neighbours.

[Puff]

Well said.

[kiwigeo]

Glad to hear the family is okay Martin. The clean up is a pain, but at least they are alive.

Well not quite all he family are accounted for. Learned today that my dad has been moved to another nursing home and nobody seems to know which home hes in. Im sure hes ok but currently trying to find someone who knows where he is.

[kiwigeo]

*cough cough* Just clearing the dust from my throat. Our little family unit is OK, everybody's a bit shaken (excuse the pun) but even I'm starting to get well and truly f**ked off with this stuff.
Central city is a complete mess & not nice hearing the death toll rise, fell right on lunch break so plenty of people getting about town when the shake occured. Takes ages to get anywhere and we are without power, water & sewerage but we have our lives so nothings too bad. Everything that was up in the house is now down, never had a single thing broken in the 7.1 but now it's hard to find anything that isn't broken! I was at work and it shook our big concrete building like a tissue, yours truly found a nice sturdy work bench to cower under.
On limited internet time but just thought I'd check in to let everybody know I'm still breathing. Will update when I'm able but thanks everybody for thinking of me, very touching .

Glad to hear youre ok Nick. I had my niece trying to check out if you were ok. She was on a bus heading home when the first quake hit and wasnt responding to my calls as the mobile network was jammed up. She got home ok and is pissed off that uni is closed for the next few weeks.

Looks like a new fault system to the east of the previous focus of activity. Looks like you guys are back to square one as far as aftershocks go.

Im booked over on 24/3 and will catch up with you then.

Cheers Martin

[DarwinStrings]

Bugga, stay safe Kiwis.

Jim

[Nick]

Yeah can't thank Aussie enough (and other countries of course) for the immediate reaction, the NSW USAR team were on the ground and pulling people from the buildings in no time. Unfortunately they cannot save everybody that is trapped, I knew a woman that was in the CTV building which when I saw it, was surprised anybody was pulled out alive. We have our own USAR of course but nowhere near as effective than with greater numbers arriving. Essentially there are 7 bad areas around town so resources were a little stretched. We rallied around in the last one but many people have seen our iconic Cathedral falling to the ground & we seem to have lost heart this time. But the feeling of community is great. I was cueing (That took about an hour and a half) with my eldest daughter this morning to get water and a company that makes the plastic milk bottles just basically put pallet loads of new bottles out for people to help themselves to use for water containers as some had turned up with pots,pans anything that could carry water. Getting around Christchurch takes patience, immediately after the Quake I went to get my partner (who hates the ground shaking!) & what normally takes about 8 minutes to do from work, took an hour and a half. Things on the eastern side of the city have not improved much since, another normally brief trip this morning took most of the morning. Many of the roads have large craters in from the liquefaction, big enough to have eaten entire cars.
Still no power in the eastern area of town (where I usually live) but have encamped at my sister's who is fortunate to have power & water but because of the sewerage system being essentially stuffed, we cannot shower & are asked bury our number two's in the back yard.
Wish I was still working for St John, I feel a bit helpless doing nothing. My partner (who is still an active member) has gone into town to cook meals for the emergency services who are doing a sterling job along with all the other agencies.
Sorry if this is all a bit rambley but life has just been turned on it's head & I don't know my arse from my elbow currently! Going to run my partner down to her sister's tomorrow in Timaru (about a two hour drive south of Christchurch) so might feel a little more human after a shower & the ability to actually sit on the can & flush it! It's amazing how we all take basic amenities for granted until they aren't around any more.
Let me know if there's anything I can do from this end regarding your family Martin & I will attempt to get it done within my capabilities.
Thanks again everybody for your thoughts & good wishes, it's a great community we have here on the forum. I will check in when I can & update.

[seeaxe]

Hey Martin,

They said on the news tonight the RNZAF are moving a some people in old peoples homes out of CHCH to less vibratory surroundings - not sure which ones though.

Not much help, but if you cant find him, its worth asking if they have been evac'ed

Cheers

Nick, if theres anything I can do.... just holler.

[Paul B]

Glad to hear you're ok Nick.

You had us worried for a bit.

[kiwigeo]

Hey Martin,

They said on the news tonight the RNZAF are moving a some people in old peoples homes out of CHCH to less vibratory surroundings - not sure which ones though.

Not much help, but if you cant find him, its worth asking if they have been evac'ed

Cheers

Nick, if theres anything I can do.... just holler.

Thanks Richard,

Found the old man this morning. He actually rang my sister. Hes at a nursing home somewhere in Merivale. He doesnt realise how serious things are...doesnt believe in watching TV. His partner is about to piss off back to Australia and isnt answering my calls and dads original nursing home is a write-off. Couldnt be much worse.

Cheers Martin

[Dennis Leahy]

...Found the old man this morning. He actually rang my sister. Hes at a nursing home somewhere in Merivale. He doesnt realise how serious things are...doesnt believe in watching TV. His partner is about to piss off back to Australia and isnt answering my calls and dads original nursing home is a write-off. Couldnt be much worse.

Cheers Martin

Good. He's OK. Could be much worse.

Give 'im an extra big hug and a sloppy kiss when you see him next!

Dennis

[Dave Olds]

I would like to add my thanks to our Australian friends.

The job that the Australian USAR and police are doing in Christchurch is just fantastic - and the fact they they offered help and got people here so quickly just shows that although they are sworn enemies on the rugby field - they are out best mates when it comes to adversity.

Once again - thanks Australia

Also - thanks also to the teams from the rest of the world, including Taiwan, Japan, USA, UK and China.

[ozwood]

Long live the ANZAC Spirit , not Just about standing Shoulder to Shoulder in War, It's about Being a good Mate , and Lending Our Best Neighbors a Hand , Christchurch our thoughts are with you. I still remember vividly the Newcastle earthquake, I was in the thick of it , I feel for the People of Christchurch.

Paul.

[kiwigeo]

Hey Martin,

They said on the news tonight the RNZAF are moving a some people in old peoples homes out of CHCH to less vibratory surroundings - not sure which ones though.

Not much help, but if you cant find him, its worth asking if they have been evac'ed

Cheers

Nick, if theres anything I can do.... just holler.

Dad turned up in a nursing home in Merivale and today hes being evacuated up to Auckland. Ill be jumping on an Adelaide-Auckland flight soon to go and check on him.

Just learned one of the other geologists working for consulting group Im with hasnt checked in. Left Angola just before the quake and hasnt been heard from since.

[Dennis Leahy]

Heard the number dead (145) and the number missing that are presumed dead (200) and that was really some sad and sobering news.

My heart goes out to all of you in New Zealand.

Dennis

[morgan]

The Atlantic and the Big Picture (Boston.com) both have some amazing photos:

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011 ... ir/100016/

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/0 ... quake.html

[Nick]

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/0 ... quake.html

What they don't say in picture #35 in this collection is that while these poor buggers were grieving the loss of a wife & mother in town, some A-hole was emptying their house of all it's possessions! There are some scum around at this time,out numbered by the angels fortunately but still a few that see it as an opportunity rather than a disaster!

Things are settling somewhat, power is back on in most suburban area's and they are working furiously to get running water on to those area's still without (mine included), even to the point of just laying new pipes on the surface until more permanent solutions can be found. Can't get back into work for what looks like, could be another two weeks while they clear the building safety & Structurally -wise. I've been working for the past couple of days helping my old mates at St John with feeding the troops, been a bit of a rolling feast as they come & go to various area's around the city. It's great to see sooooo many local businesses donating whatever they can, even to the extent of one supermarket over the road from the base, just chucking us the keys & telling us to go and help ourselves to anything on the floor or shelves, food & supplies are coming out the wazoo.
It's been really surreal to me to see the town empty except for army tanks and personnel carriers & bricks just laying everywhere, you see overseas pictures of places like Palestine in a war zone & my own quiet city now resembles that...weird. The once 'historic' city I know will cease to be as a recent estimate stated that 1/3 of the central city needs to be demolished And most of those will be our old heritage.
If I could indulge for a minute and ask forum members to either be thinking about or observe the two minutes silence planned for 12.51 (exact time of the quake a week ago) NZ time, tomorrow, Tuesday, for those who have lost there lives in our usually peaceful little city, it would be very much appreciated by us Cantabrians, & it is heartwarming to know that so many have come from all over the world to help.