Riccarton Market

Today was another lovely hot spring day so we went to Riccarton Market for 2 hours and had lunch and a coffee there and browsed the stalls - I bought some incense sticks 3 for $2!! Then back in ChCh we went to the gardens and chilled for a while before heading home:-)

4.1

bloody hell just had 3 big aftershocks of 4.1 only 5km away from the city shook the house really bad felt worse than the 7.1 because so near got out pretty quick went for walk to calm down.

Chilling out on the Banks Peninsula

Today was a really hot sunny day so we made the most of it!! We left at 10:30 and drove to Diamond Harbour and bought some toasties and two lattes which we took to the purau beach and ate at the picnic tables along with crisps and raisins and nuts. Then we took the blanket onto the beach and sat near the sea to chill out for a while. Mark paddled in the sea!! We then drove back to Diamond Harbour and got two ice creams , 2 scoops for $2.50!! took them to the beach and sat there for a bit reading the paper. On the way back to Christchurch we stopped in at the She Chocolate Cafe I had a Dark Moccachino and Mark a Iced Mocha they both came with edible chocolate spoons:-)


On returning to our Urban Room we went to the Tap Room where Mark had a Monteiths Original I had a Grand Margarita Cocktail:-)

Riccarton Market

Today we spent an hour at Riccarton Farmers Market. We had a coffee there and looked round before heading back to the city. We had a whitebait sandwich at the Arts Centre Market and a coffee and sat outside the Museum soaking the sun for a bit before heading home:-)

Relaxing Day

Today Mark worked in the morning then dropped the car off and picked up courtesy car till Monday. We drove to Sumner had lunch out then went to the warehouse but couldn't find jumpers I wanted for work. Went to Westfield Riccarton still didn't find anything. We then drove to Sign of the Takahe before driving home and going out for coffee. Tonight we go to the Bard an English pub just down the road for some drinks to celebrate Taylor's birthday:-)

Job Update

I am now registered with Adecco and all being well starting work tomorrow for EQC Earthquake Commission as Claims Administrator got to have two days training first though at Commodore Hotel near the airport. $15 per hour for 6 months. Of course if we got the hostel job we would leave these jobs and take that as is full time and permanent and offering sponsorship plus we love working in hostels:-)

Job Update

We just received email from Janet at Foley Towers reg job we applied for a while back are we still interested of course I said YES - it is for Backpacker Accommodation Managers full time and permanent 5 days a week live in accommodation. Plus they will offer sponsorship for the right couple:-)

Relaxing Sunday

We had a lie in then went for a walk round cbd. Had a coffee and shared banoffee pie at Dux delux. Sat in Victoria Square for an hour then had beer and onion rings with shoestring fries at The Tap Room. Saw Kimberley Crossman of Shortland Street with a guy there didnt say anything didnt have camera or pen, bummer:P

Because cathedral closed to public the service was held in the square which was pretty cool:-)

The trams are running again too!

Plans for Weekend

Ultimately the plans for this weekend will be to relax. Tonight we will go out for coffee to Pronto on New Regent Street. Tomorrow Mark is working 9-1 then we go for $2 rice then a trip hopefully to Sumner depending on state of roads. Go food shopping then relax for evening. Hopefully on Sunday if we feel like it we will go to Hanmer Hot Pools as they have deal on for Canterbury/Christchurch Residents - just need proof of address:-)

Just a couple of biggish aftershocks today not been too bad!

Declared Safe

house been inspected safe for now but our wall needs a builder to sort it out!!

both still a bit nervous about it

Bad aftershock

just has a 5.2 from near diamond harbour which has totalled our wall in room. Got out with all our stuff waiting for landlord to access if safe to live in.

not in work today!!

Fault awakens after 16,000 yrs!!

Scientists believe it is at least 16,000 years since the last rupture of the hidden fault that caused Saturday's magnitude 7.1 earthquake and generated the strongest ground-shaking ever recorded in New Zealand.
By last night more than 90 significant aftershocks had rattled Canterbury since the shock that produced major damage to parts of Christchurch and the region.
Yesterday's frequent quakes were generally between four and five in magnitude. Some were felt as sharp jolts because they were as shallow as 4km below the surface and only 10km from the centre of Christchurc

another restless night

this is a video of a store near Sumner http://www.stuff.co.nz/4101660/Quake-shakes-supermarket

its 12amTuesday morning and we have been awoken by a 5.2 followed by a 4 then we got walloped by a 5.4 2 minutes after. Got a bag together ready to leave the house both feeling really uneasy tonight. hopefully we wont get the 6.1 but it feels like we will soon

Video

I know the guy who owns the camping shop bought stuff there also served him a lot at work just spoken to him today.

We walk past these stores almost daily going to be weird walking down there now.

Aftermath

Well Mark has managed to work all today which is good as we need the money - don't think I will be working till at least Thursday as state of emergency has been extended to Wednesday and early childcare centres closed till Wednesday.
Tracking today's events as they happen on Day Three of the Christchurch earthquake disaster.
3.54pm
Police have moved the cordons in central Christchurch, which are now bounded by Cambridge, Gloucester, Madras and St Asaph Streets.
Checkpoints to gain entry to the city centre are at the corner of Gloucester and Colombo and St Asaph and Colombo. A cordon remains in place on the Cranford and Westminster Street area.
3.50pm
The 12-storey Radio Network building in Worcester St was evacuated after the 12.35pm aftershock.
According to Newstalk ZB, which broadcasts from the building, it had sustained some damage during Saturday's quake and the aftershock made some of the cracks worse.
Radio Network stations will continue to broadcast from back-up facilities.

We live ten mins from CBD and five mins from Radio Network!

looking back!

The really worrying thing was being in the dark looking for your clothes and things you know should be there where you left them but have been shook all over the place. Knew if I could find my car keys we would ok as we had food and water and blankets in the car.

Once out the house it hit me how quiet everywhere was (no alarms going off etc) and the amount of stars we could see in the sky we could even see the milky way.

Once outside it was so dark as our street was hit by the power cut.

Hokitika

Looking at this you would not think we had just survived the worst earthquake in the history of Christchurch just hours before but since this was my only weekend of for  while I was not letting nature stop us.

We had fun we went to lake Kineare near Hokitika and had lunch then went to the Hokitika Gorge and had a quick walk. We then went round the town had a coffee went back to the holiday park for tea then watched the sunset with wine on the beach then got the key to the spa which we had booked then we went to the glow worms across the road which was cool

House Damage and Christchurch

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Eventful weekend

Well what a eventful weekend we have had so far. Firstly we were awoke not by alarm clock but by noise and shaking of the house. Mark was up, down, flying out of bed asking what is it, whre’s my whatever – I was sitting in the bed and looking out of the window thinking someone was throwing stuff at the car – then I said wait it’s an earthquake. Then it stopped and then it started again even worse then we knew we should get out of the house. Our housemate Felicity was shouting is everyone alright, we need to get out of the house. I opened the door and said yeak just getting dressed. It seemed vto take forever to get dressed and not properly I didnt button my shirt up right and later found out my knickers were inside out and the wrong way round, lol:-)

We eventually were all out of the house standing on the street surveying the damage which for our house was bricks all over the place fropm the chimney some of which had totalled housemates car.

In the house was not so bad no smashed plates, glasses etc just opened drawers – stuff on floor and our desk had moved about a foot from the wall! Also the power and water was off.

Luckily we had packed food supplies etc in the car for our road trip and done the food shopping and filled up petrol the day before and we had gas burner and water and torch and first aid kit in the car.

Funnily enough we watched Surviving disaster a couple of weeks ago on surviving earthquakes, lol:-)

When the light came up we had a cup of tea using camp stove and kettle before braving going back inside the house to collect rest of stuff and heading off for the west coast luckily avoiding seeing much damage apart from roof cave in just down road from us.

Found out was 7.1 and 10 miles deep and curfew in CBD about 5 mins walk from us between 7pm – 7am!! We were glad to escape the drama of the city. Luckily power came on around 3pm in our house but still no water

Now city will have to rebuilt in cost of 2 billion dollars!! Tomorrow will be hit by gusty winds + some people we know in fox have died in skydiving plane crash 9 people, 6 nz, 1 english, 1 irish and one other

So in all a very eventful, sad day for all nz as as far as Hamilton on the north island felt tremors!

Enjoying our time in Hokitika and already had lunch at nice lake, gone to gorge and had coffee out, wine on beach watching sunset and now heading off for spa:-)