Earthquake - Cleaning up and sorting out

Over the last few days the staff have been busy sorting resources, moving and cleaning-up.  We've had no water or toilets, so its 'bring your own,' or run to the nearest port-a-loo!  It was really nice to see some children today, collecting their school bags.  

Earthquake - Help for our Community

Today staff were allowed to enter Freeville School to tidy up.  Check out our library blog for more photos.

Later in the morning a container arrived from Hastings Intermediate School.  It was very overwhelming to think a school in the North Island wanted to help the whanau around the area of Freeville School.  I felt very emotional and humble at the kindness shown to our community.  Click below to view a slideshow of the wonderful container arriving at our school.  Exceptional backing skills from the driver!  A huge thank you, to you all at Hastings Intermediate School.

Earthquake - A long way to buy groceries

Earthquake - A car with a View

I'm very thankful that the liquefaction has now been collected around my area.  Of course one side effect is the 'desert storm,' driving conditions.  Well, you don't really have to be driving to get this paint job look!

Earthquake - how many Port-a-loos?

I've noticed a couple more port-a-loos turn up in my area.  This is a very hot topic of conversation, and I'm now glad they've started to hand-out some chemical toilets in areas that still have no sewage, water and power.

I had to giggle at where they've placed some of the port-a-loos...one gust of wind and who knows where you might end up!

Down the end of my street there's now a huge water tank, so that was one of my jobs for today.  At times like these fresh, flowing, clean water is such a luxury.

Christchurch Earthquake 6.3 Movie

This is some footage I've put together.

Earthquake - Fixing our cell sites

My uncle has been very busy repairing cell sites and keeping the generators going for the phone lines.

He took these photos in Sumner...

"There was a cell site in Sumner in a lovely little spot.  Along came an earthquake and a little rock fell on it and it broke to bits.  So a replacement was set up on the front lawn of the exchange around the corner."

The little XT site is the container on the trailer, the cell site for old phones is the big grey power hungry box, aerial for both in the middle and the power generator in front.  There is another generator powering the exchange on the right and the vehicle has arrived for refuelling.

This is the house across the road...there were big boulders in the car park and a house on the edge of a cliff!