My mum’s a New Zealander and all her family live there.
Last September one of my cousins was effected by the earthquake and found the experience quite scary. It took the young children a little while to recover especially the baby whom was restless for days. This picture shows the road just around the corner from them.
I emailed those living in Christchurch where they purchased a house a couple of years ago hoping they were well and sending our thoughts and prayers their way after the recent events. I received a reply a few days later to say that my cousin was on the phone to her husband who was on business in Auckland. The conversation was normal until all he heard was screams and then the line went dead!
Liz had grabbed her children as the house shook violently around them and hung onto them whilst laying on the floor. They didn’t move until the tremor stopped. John meanwhile managed to get a flight in the early hours from Deniden followed by a car journey not really knowing what was in store.
What a nightmare of a journey for him, I really felt for them. Their house has been assessed and deemed not safe to live in and it could take at least a year before their area is habitable again as the sewage system is beyond easy repair. Obviously the most important fact is they’re alive. A removal lorry arrived and they salvaged most of their belongings and have left the area. Fortunately for them the company John works for have an office up in Nelson and have transferred him, so they are housed temporarily until they decide what to do next.
I have no recent pictures as their priority was to move out quickly and communication was still slow when I last heard from them.
Thoughts are with those who have not been as lucky as my cousins and lost loved ones.