An emotional church service was too much for the Kaikoura mayor who teared up while telling the crowd to stay strong.
Around 200 people gave up their usual morning at church to come together at the non-denominational service to sing, laugh and cry. Children, the elderly and everyone inbetween sat
out in the bright sunshine to take comfort in being together.
Reverend Kevin Topp opened the service with a prayer and remarked on some of the incredible stories people had told him. One woman only had an old cellphone that hardly worked. So her daughter organised a new one to be helicoptered to her. When the chopper landed and the pilot walked over with her package the woman realised it was Richie McCaw holding her new phone, Topp said.
"It made her day. It made her earthquake. In fact I think she's asking for more."
Kaikoura mayor Winston Gray was in tears as he told the crowd to be strong "kia kaha".
