Christchurch earthquake: Cordon scuttles proposal plans

Marcel Mihulka and fiance Alicia Mathews. The couples engagement ring is stuck in a hotel inside the Christchurch corden. Photo / Supplied

Marcel Mihulka had carefully planned a romantic candlelit proposal at a hot spa overlooking Queenstown's Shotover River.

But the engagement ring he bought his girlfriend of five years is in a cordoned-off hotel room in central Christchurch.

Mr Mihulka and his partner, Alicia Mathews, both 28, are waiting to hear if the ring will be lost forever if the hotel is demolished.

But they are also counting their blessings. If the city's earthquake had happened 45 minutes earlier, they would have been inside the Christchurch Cathedral spire, which collapsed, killing those inside.

Instead, they watched from about 10m away as the spire tumbled down.

"We were going to go back to the hotel but decided to buy some souvenirs," Mr Mihulka said, "and when we were going around the side of the cathedral, that's when it happened.

"We instinctively ran towards the open space of Cathedral Square, which was towards the tower, and I could see it was going to come down, so we did a full 180 and went behind a raised garden bed there and just huddled behind that until it went down and stopped.

"It was like jelly. It was just wobbling ... We didn't know how it was staying up while it was wobbling, it was definitely going to come down."

Mr Mihulka, who works in an education team at Royal Melbourne Hospital, said he wasn't going to tell Ms Mathews he intended to propose because he was still going to try to do so the next day as planned - without the ring.

"It became more and more obvious that we were not going to get our luggage back, and we might not even get to Queenstown, so I told her that evening, just to calm her down.

"She couldn't sleep that night because there were tremors ... I said, this was what was going to happen. 'I don't think you're going to be happy but I was going to do this ... .' She was just really happy though - it's something she's wanted for quite a while.

"I had a photo of the ring so I could show her. She really likes it and she just wants to get it.

"I went shopping about two months beforehand for it. She really likes diamonds and she really likes pink as well so I got this unique cross-over one. It almost looks like two rings interwoven. It was perfect."

Mr Mihulka didn't want to reveal how much it cost, but said: "I don't think I'd ever be able to afford another one."

However, he is looking on the bright side.

"Compared to what other people lost, we just lost a ring. We've still got each other. We're really happy with that."

Mr Mihulka, who asked that the hotel the ring is in not be named because of the risk of looters, said even the hotel's chief executive was not allowed in and he was waiting to hear if it would be demolished.

"It doesn't sound promising."

He didn't end up popping the question.

"I didn't want to get engaged under negative circumstances.

"I'll see what happens with the ring. If we don't get it back I'll find another way that will be more positive."

Asked if the couple were engaged, Mr Mihulka said: "Tentatively - yeah ... We need a ring to confirm it, I think."

Speaking separately, upon being asked the same question Ms Mathews said:

"What did Marcel say? It's his thing."

And despite their earthquake ordeal, the couple enjoyed their time in New Zealand.

"All the New Zealanders were just lovely," Mr Mihulka said.