All Blacks great Richie McCaw has flown Santa into earthquake-battered Kaikoura today.
An anonymous benefactor has paid for McCaw to helicopter Santa and a chopper-load of Christmas cheer into Kaikoura township and other quake-hit areas including Clarence, the cut-off Awatere Valley, the Inland Rd, and Culverden.
Major food and beverage companies, along with small retailers, have climbed aboard for the mission, delivering food and wine to more than 30 selected families and individuals.
Their first stop was Pam Edgar whose husband Louis Edgar died when their historic Kaikoura homestead The Elms collapsed during the massive magnitude-7.8 quake.
Donors, including North Canterbury-based charcuterie firm Hellers, set out from Christchurch at 6am for a mid-morning rendezvous in Kaikoura with McCaw and his even-more-famous passenger.
A Hellers truck stacked with bacon, ham and sausages, along with other vehicles, including an SUV and horse float, were loaded with Christmas presents, hampers, biscuits and wine, among other items.
Relief organisers Lilly Tiffen and husband Kristian Fuller then mobilised the deliveries to more than 20 families across Kaikoura township and Clarence Valley.
Since the November 14 earthquake, the couple have received and co-ordinated tonnes of supplies to struggling communities.
They've started Miss Lilly's Angels charitable trust to tackle an armful of quake-relief projects.
The "Angels" group also had two cars and a horse float arrive in Kaikoura today to deliver Christmas goodies to the hospital.
They also have a pallet of mixed presents that they handed out in the street and at random houses.
Trish Jellyman, whose house suffered damage in the quake, was one of the Kaikoura locals to be given Christmas gifts today.
She felt overwhelmed by the generosity of "presents, parcels, fuel vouchers and too much other stuff".
"Miss Lilly and her helpers have done such a great job," Jellyman said.
"I certainly wasn't expecting anything. Personally, we're fine but there are people out there who she has gone and delivered stuff too and that has made a big different not just for Christmas but also their day-to-day living."
Tiffen has created a Givealittle page for donations to the trust.
"I want to wake up on Christmas Day and see $50,000 on that," Tiffen said.
She says donations have poured in for today's project, backed by sponsors including Whittaker's, Postie Plus and Canon, as well as service groups like Rotary Rangiora.
The volume of donations has allowed the trust to expand its original shortlist of 10 recipients. Miss Lilly's Angels has been working with Federated Farmers and other local community contacts to identify those recipients.