Life in the quake zone: 'It's like your worst nightmare coming true'

Liquefaction has created more problems for the residents of Christchurch, but many are refusing to give up on the quake-torn city. Photo / Geoff Sloan

For many of those living in Christchurch's eastern suburbs, normal life is still a long way off, with more damage and liquefaction caused by the most recent big aftershocks.

nzherald.co.nz spoke to some of those in the quake zone and found that while enough is enough for some, others are vowing to stand by their shattered city.

Bernie Smith, 47, Bexley

"We are in the midst of packing. Our house smells like crap. We have liquefaction everywhere, but we are coping alright."

The Smith family say they are taking one day at a time following the latest big earthquake to hit Christchurch, and were preparing to stay with their daughter in Waltham when nzherald.co.nz phoned.

"The house was written off after the February one, but we were still living here, but yesterday's damage took the cake. The floor has dropped, we have liquefaction everywhere for the third time. There are cracks in the walls. We won't be back."

Lisa Grant, 25, New Brighton

"It was crazy. It was right up there with February and September. It's amazing really that the houses are still standing because when you are running outside the floors are just going crazy."

Ms Grant - who is currently a student - considers herself one of the lucky ones.

"It seems really weird. It must just be the way the land is lying because every time our neighbours get really bad liquefaction and we are always okay.

"The neighbours behind us have been really unlucky. Both times they have had water just pouring out of the ground which has gone inside their house. After the February earthquake they moved out to a rental because the sewer pipes underneath the house got damaged. Then they went to a rental and an aftershock did the same thing there.

"We are renting, so it's not as stressful for us, but I think it's really quite hard for the people who have houses that are damaged who are still paying their mortgage, and then have to pay rent in the short-term as well."

Tracey Bolton, 31, Bexley

The Bolton family live on Waitaki St, Bexley - one of the streets worst hit by liquefaction after February's quake. This time the liquefaction is even worse.

"We've probably got a little bit more than last time," mother of three Tracey says. "We're lucky we have a four-wheel-drive so we can get in and out."

The household has been without wastewater since the February 22 quake, and following yesterday's quakes is without power and water.

"We have a generator, my husband has teed that up so we can run the TV, the wee fridge and one light."

Tracey says the children, aged four, nine and 12, are coping "ok", although the younger two are getting freaked out by the aftershocks.

"I've just told all the kids we're going to bunk down in the lounge tonight."

Despite the challenges, the Bolton family do not intend on going anywhere.

"Just muck in and bring it on. It's not going to scare us away."

Brian Mason, 65, Sumner

"It's like your worst nightmare coming true.

"We had a cross section of people in the house at the time and they were all pretty scared I can tell you.

"The whole house sort of lifted up. If it went on much longer I think the whole place would've been history.

"There are rocks blocking the end of our road, and I'm looking out the window at the Catholic Church of Sumner just across the road and the whole side of the roof is demolished now, but our house seems to be okay.

"We at taking one day at a time. We are not at the end of our tether yet, but I know a lot of people are."

Liz Rate-Smith, 35, Redcliffs

"It was much like reliving what we've gone through in the last nine months," she says.

"I think we've gotten quite used to them. This is becoming the norm. We've done it a few times and we're becoming used to it."

Liz is keen to stay in Christchurch at this point.

"[The quakes] are affecting our work a little bit and if that continues that's going to be the major problem."

She works at an early childhood centre.

"Usually I'm in with under two year olds, and they are fairly oblivious to what is going on most of the time. The older ones, the two to five year olds, there are a few of them who are quite traumatised and even a smaller shake really frightens them."

Lisa O'Donnell, 40, Aranui

Lisa O'Donnell was at her Aranui home with her 12-year-old daughter, who was off school, when the 6.3 struck at 2.20pm.

"She's not taking it too well, she just wants to move out of Christchurch.

"I like Christchurch, I don't want to move away."

Lisa says her other two children, 18 and 16, are coping better.

Sandown Road is one of many in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch to have suffered damage following yesterday's aftershocks.

"We've had some burst water pipes and liquefaction and sewage," Lisa says. "But it worse down the other end of the street than our end.

"We've got power now, we're just waiting on the water. Just down the end of our street they don't have anything yet.

Lisa works at Countdown Eastgate, which only last Wednesday reopened to the public after the building sustained damage in the February quake. After yesterday's jolts, the branch is once again closed.

"It was great getting back, I quite enjoyed my week of work last week."

Rebekah Wilson, 35, New Brighton

Rebekah Wilson said she was "a bit freaked out" by yesterday's earthquakes, but by this morning she was determined to stand up and help her community.

Immediately after the February 22 earthquake which crippled the Christchurch CBD and flooded several suburbs with muck and silt from liquefaction, Rebekah led efforts by Wifi For Humanity to bring internet access to hard-hit New Brighton.

This morning, she was ready to do it again.

"It's what I needed to do. I can't just sit here and do nothing when there has to be some kind of action."

Rebekah immediately organised a generator and ventured to the Jungle Patrol Cafe, the same place she turned into a telecommunications hub in February. There are now facilities for tea and coffee, as well as internet access and mobile phone charging.

Rebekah said it was important for people to have a place to connect with each other - and the outside world - after yesterday's magnitude 6.3 and 5.7 jolts shook the city.

Power had not been restored to the New Brighton area by the afternoon, and locals have been told to expect to be without a supply overnight if it isn't restored by 5pm.

"There's no water here either. We don't know when it'll be back."

Zane Wilson, 25, Ferrymead

Zane Wilson has lost four flat screen televisions in earthquakes in the last nine months.

"We lost two in September," he says. "We got insurance for one, and then seven days later that was broken in the February one.

"And we had another one which I bought, because we haven't been paid out yet by EQC, that fell over and broke. We had it on the floor thinking it would be safe."

The 25-year-old was at his Ferrymead home when the magnitude 6.3 quake hit yesterday, but saving the 42" television was not a priority.

"I fell over with the force. There was no chance of saving the TV, you save yourself in those situations," he says.

"The one earlier in the day, I was actually in a restaurant doing work, and it was pretty intense. You could see the workmen outside rocking around."

Zane said the liquefaction from yesterday's quakes has turned the Brookhaven subdivision where he lives "into a four-wheel-drive track".

"Our subdivision - they've just finished doing the roads from the February one and all the liquefaction is back to exactly where it was in February.

"I was actually standing on the road and I could feel it collapsing beneath me, so I quickly got off the road."

The father-of-two says he has no intention of leaving the city.

"It's home, mate, it's where the heart is. You can't just up and leave.

"We're one-eyed Cantabrians, mate. Our city may be in a bit of a mess, but our rugby team's good."