Following the September earthquake measuring 7.1 and the thousands of aftershocks, we have been rocked again. The biggest measuring 6.3 with serious damage to already weakened buildings and this time there are reported fatalities. I am safe, about 160km/100m south of the epicentre but please spare a thought for those that are not.

Update: 20 earthquakes in the last 5 and a half hours, 17 confirmed dead and expected to rise, roads buckled and buildings collapsed, people having to spend the night in Hagley Park with little shelter/blankets,food or water.

Death toll now 65 and rising.....

I've been watching a live television feed all afternoon. It's horrifying.
Lunch hour on a busy work/school day means the maximum number of people were in harm's way. Emergency crews are working to retrieve trapped people, hopefully before further aftershocks can intervene.
Australia has already despatched a Rescue team. All of us are wishing the best for our fellow ANZACS.

To all our Kiwi mates across the ditch- we are thinking of you! It is a tragedy, and we wish you well.

I have just been watching the heartbreakng BBC reports. I hope all is well with you and yours Aaron..... and our other NZ members, of course.

Oh my goodness, how awful.

The thoughts of us in the UK are with you as well. I hope the death toll does not continue to climb. My sister lived in New Zealand for a few years, in Whakatane, so we feel you are 'family'.

I am glad you are OK Howie and the entire area effected is in my thoughts, I heardt he news on the way into work this morning and remembered the bad one Christchurch recently had.

I don't think I can bear to watch the news though my thoughts are on you all. We visited Christchurch in the eighties and it was a lovely town. New Zealanders were really wonderful hosts to people traveling through their region.

We ANZACS must have done something wrong. The first earthquake, the Greymouth tragedy, the Queensland and other Aussie floods, the WA fires and now this. I didn't think I'd have any tears left but it seems I do. I saw the photo of the steeple fallen from the cathedral and the floodgates opened. God love ya Kiwis! We're thinking of you across the ditch. Take care of yourselves. *HUGZ* We might even let you win the Bledisloe Cup this year..

My thoughts are with you, too. God bless x

A UK search and rescue team is on its way - it can't get there until Thursday but it can help out so the local guys can get some rest.

As rossian says, the Kiwis are family, we're thinking of you all.

Thank you everyone, going to take a long time to recover from this. Latest death toll is 75 but they just found 15 alive in a collapsed building so trying to work out how to recover them.

Tizzabelle, maybe you could let us win the world cup too......

Edited to say I just returned home and the report of the 15 people found was false.

Sad indeed. I think most Australians know someone in New Zealand and has their heart with them at this moment.

The only thing I can say is that maybe us Aussies were 'lucky' (sort of) with our tragedies lately - at least most people had a bit of warning and the chance to get out. New Zealand had no warning at all with these quakes.

About 300 police are going over from Aussie on Friday and rescue teams are already there.

Yes Tizzabelle we will pretend we let them win the Bledisloe Cup like we have for the last ...... years.

My thoughts are with you all. I have another friend fron another website who is safe as is her family, but the news reports are awful. Hugs and prayers to all xx

I was born and bred in Christchurch. I currently live an hour south of Christchurch city. I have family and friends that live and work there.
Today I went into the city myself to bring my mother in law home with me.
The city that was badly damaged - but recovering - after the Sept 4th earthquake is no more. It is devastated. Gone almost.
Family and friends in the city have all survived, but so many of them are now homeless, and/or unemployed.
I took water, food, clothing, bedding, toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, and toothbrushes with me as I went to evacuate mother-in-law, I dropped them off at a refuge centre near where she lives and was asked if I had any feminine hygiene products on me to donate. I never thought of that.
Where I live - an hour out of Christchurch city - for two days in a row our petrol station has run out of petrol. Bread and milk is being rationed -
but we're still selling out - our stores and cafes are being cleaned out daily.

I don't know how to begin thanking people anc countries that have sent help/well wishes; they mean more then you can possibly imagine.

ainenei, you are the salt of the earth; straight on the scene and giving from your heart.
Help will come from donations and from Government, but it will take time to filter through beaurocracy, otherwise a few opportunists will quickly adopt false identities and make unjustified claims.
A community that carries drinking water and finds beds for neighbours and digs communal "dunnies" is a community that will be stronger in the future.
I have little to offer but my heartfelt thanks that your family is still complete and my abundant good wishes.

ainenei you are an example that all who can, should follow. The more like you the better.

It's truly heart rending to hear this from our members. Little things will make all the difference at first.

I keep thinking of how many people invited us to stay when we were traveling there in the South island in particular or once they fed us when the shops were closed and the camp was open on a trust system only off season. These are the kinds of people to show solidarity.

My thoughts and well wishes go out to everyone effected. One of my teammates here’s from the area, as is her sister, who was the former leader until she vanished for months and the system named the team “abandoned.” Result: I stepped in—then immediately told my friend.