An Earth Butterflys Blog: Theres a New World Comin' - Christchurch Rocks


Spring is here - note the blossom... and the silt and sewerage in our River :(

Another chimney lost!

Major damage to possessions - esp pictures and china/glass

Early on Saturday morning, just after four some time, I was woken by the rock, roll and rumble of a rather growly Earthquake. It lasted only 30 seconds or so, but those seconds felt like an eternity. Over the cat, onto the floor, tried to get up to feel the lightswitch - no power by this stage - exit bedroom through puddle of water from Eenis's tank (Goldfish) then through the hall on my knees to the children... Into the lounge, gathering my wits about me, and it stopped... Five minutes or so, then another, not as big, but oh so scary!
We are fine now, we had no power for 4 days, our house is, so far ok, we may lose our two old brick chimneys, but there is devastation much worse everywhere. My heart goes out to those who have had houses condemned because of structural damage. It is a mind blowing experience, as we have had almost 300 after shocks since, some at around the 6 level on the richter, and that is S*C*A*R*Y to say the least!

It has taught and enforced just one thing - Things arent important, people are!
I have looked around the house and seen so many things that are just in the way, but beforehand might have been relevant to make me feel good about myself. Stuff just isnt where it is at!! My kids are in good shape, Ive heard from most of my family and they appear to be ok. One of our friends lost his life due to injury, and his house is written off, which has hit home and caused a lot of heart ache. We have friends who have lost homes & stock, but also have fissures across farming land, cracks in walls, broken fences, chimneys, wreck and ruin... and all in all, we are a community who are helping each other which is awesome!

Is this The Earth Talking?

Entire fences fell over, if not in the big shake, the aftershocks did the damage

Subsidence on the roads, some of these were filled in and the new material has subsided again!

Woodham Road/Gloucester St area

Consoling the Cat!

Roof damage, after this happened, it started to rain!

So there are some of my personal photos...
There are lots of websites with other photos in greater detail to show the devastation, lots of our historical buildings are going, or gone - many in the CBD especially, town has had a real bad time.
My personal favourite place to check online about the quakes and after shocks is here at Geonet. They update after every shock and we feel them anyway... The rocking and rolling hasnt stopped... And the rumble gets me every time.

IF YOURE A CANTABRIAN and need assistance, there are places to go as advertised, but also this might help someone - http://earthquakebuddyhelp.blogspot.com/
As of tonight we dont have to boil our drinking water, we didnt lose water here, but there is sewerage being leached into the Avon river, which saddens me. There are still major roads with massive fissures, but the council is working round the clock to fix as much as they can.

After a few days without power, we lost our fridge (twisted door) and started cooking with the bbq.
Without our neighbours help that first morning, Id have been lost, this has built good strong relationships between neighbours, strangers and families all over Canterbury and beyond...
There are a big lack of candles, bottled water, matches, lighters, LPG, water storage containers and childcare in the immediate city region... But we here have adopted the saying *It is All a Part Of the Experience* and the children say, theyve got through one, theyll get through the others...