The Government hopes it will be able to give thousands of Canterbury property owners in the worst earthquake-hit areas some idea of what the future holds by the middle of next week.

Student volunteers who helped in the earthquake clean-up have been rewarded with tickets to a sold-out Metallica gig.

Broadcaster Paul Holmes returns to the city where he began his career to see how locals are coping in the wake of the earthquake.

Business owners in central Christchurch are anxious about their shops being sealed away from customers behind cordons a week after the earthquake.

The Christchurch Mayor has warned the rest of NZ that they are not immune from the type of natural disaster that struck his city this week.

A second big earthquake in three days sent lower North Island residents scrambling for cover.

Four Canterbury All Blacks, including captain Richie McCaw, have been enlisted for a campaign to help quake victims.

Water restrictions have been lifted for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula but some Waimakariri residents must still boil their water and their river is contaminated.

When the tremors return, residents at one Christchurch rest home band together with cups of tea and company.

At least 22 commercial properties and 50 homes in the small quake-damaged North Canterbury town of Kaiapoi have been deemed unsafe, with its mayor admitting the town is changed forever.

Most schools in the quake-devastated Canterbury region are not likely to open until Monday, the Education Minister says.

The final bill for the Christchurch earthquake may reach $4 billion, almost double initial estimates, Treasury Secretary John Whitehead said afternoon.

Aftershocks are continuing to hit Canterbury with one measuring 4.1 the latest in a series today that also included a 5.1.

Mayor Bob Parker says Christchurch city is coping "amazingly well" with the continuing fall-out from Saturday morning's earthquake.