Christchurch Earthquake Day3

It’s Friday and usually everyone would be at the pub, looking forward to a weekend of fun and leisure…..but not today.  We don’t even really know its Friday.  Time has become a blur.  There was Super15 Rugby tonite but we forgot about it – doesn’t feel like Friday.

First of all I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has sent us a message.  Yesterday I said I would read them but, to be honest, I have not.  I will try again tomorrow.  I did read a few today and they were truly uplifting but they also brought me close to tears.  Being busy, cleaning up the mess, taking care of guests and flushing toilets is great because it takes your mind of the reality and makes it easier to get through the day.  I’m glad I don’t have time to think.

We’d also like to say thanks to those who have cancelled with plenty of advanced notice.  This allows us to plan and is appreciated.  To be honest there are some who do not cancel, do not turn up and these people, maybe without realising it, take a lot of our time that we could spend on more productive jobs.

So, what’s today been like?  It’s been a day of aftershocks, the shallowest at only a depth of 1km which is closer than the distance to our local Fish ‘n Chip shop.

These shakes are taking an increasing toll on the city, decimating any structures the first quake spared….and it adds to the stress.

Today we finished the major tidy up of the residence, it’s roughly back to how it was.  Jeff’s sister and brother in law stayed the night and were a great help in getting life back to normal.  We cannot thank them enough.  We cannot thank them enough. We cannot thank them enough.  They have now gone home to Southland but they have proven the value of having someone around who did not experience the disaster.  Their speed and clarity of mind were a real bonus and really helped us getting back on our feet.

Today I went for a quick walk to Peterborough St.  It’s only 90 seconds walk away but today I felt I was in another world. The block between Peterborough St. and Kilmore St. is severely damaged and probably about 80% of the buildings will be demolished.  Many guests ask us about the old house across the road, we call it the Munster’s House cos it is just so cool.  But we think its time has come, it has a slant on it which is unnatural….another historical treasure gone.

We have a new member in our family.  Yesterday we were visited by a German short stay person whose accommodation had been quaked out.  Her wallet, passport etc are still at her English school and so she has nothing but a pack full of clothes.  She didn’t have anywhere else to go, so we have taken her in.  She looked so scared yesterday that we felt we had to do something to help her.  We advised her to register at the Red Cross and she did.  But other than that she had nothing.  She was planning to stay with some guy she had met at the evacuation centre but when the deal seamed strange over the phone, we decided to invite her to homestay with us.  Yesterday we sent mr12 away and today we gained an older daughter! 

What will tomorrow bring?

Christchurch Earthquake Day2

In the surreal life that we now live, we find we have lost track of time.  We have to remind ourselves that it is Thursday night.  The earthquake was at 12.50 pm on Tuesday which means it’s been 2 ½ days since the quake that has ruined Christchurch.

　　　　　　　　　(Have to get rid of the 'NOT'!!!)


You have now seen the images and know some of the stories and that is what its like.  In September, if you look back at our blogs, we spent a lot of energy telling the world that the media was blowing everything out of proportion, that Christchurch was ok, that people should still travel to Christchurch.  This time it is so different - as you see on the news reports – Christchurch is in ruins and army vehicles patrol the streets.  The best thing about Christchurch now is the spirit of the Canterbury people, and with this spirit we are battling through our darkest hour.

                         (The stump of the Cathedral tower from Motel entrance)

We are battling with the physical pain of the possibility of losing hundreds of our neighbours, friends and workmates.  We are also battling with the uncertainty of what will happen next.  After 6 months of enduring aftershock after aftershock, the period between larger jolts had expanded to as much as 7-10 days and we all finally felt that the time had come that life would return to normal.  Unfortunately we have been proven wrong and we feel cheated by a mother nature we now find hard to like. 

And so we started again and are now at day 3.

                   (The Army at our cordon barrier)

Central Christchurch is cordoned at the 4 aves and there is a 6.30pm to 6.30am curfew.  80% of the city does not have water and 40% do not have electricity and there is no real timetable yet as to how things may return to normal.  The effects of the quake are so much greater than the 4 Sep quake.  That so much damage can be caused in such a short period of time is difficult to comprehend but we are reminded of it wherever we go.  

Here at the motel we have managed to clean out all the broken plates, cups and glasses from the rooms.  We estimate that 98% of these were broken.  Today Jeff’s sister and brother in law came and gave us a welcome hand tidying up - we look a lot tidier now.

                             (Mr 12 cleans up the car park)

Today Tomoki left Christchurch with his Grandma and Grandad, they have headed to Jeff’s sister’s farm in Southland for a rest from the shakes.  The 22 Feb. earthquake’s epicentre was under the Port Hills and both they and my sister said that constant aftershocks occurring every 10 minutes or so, made them feel that the hills were constantly moving.  Here, we are lucky, only feeling the larger aftershocks.

So, where to from here?  Today we spent time tidying up and answering phone calls.  We have been busy taking cancellations and there have been so many it has taken a lot of time.  Jeff has been largely ignoring Twitter and Facebook because there were more pressing issues – a real mess to clean up.  We have received an amazing amount of messages and good wishes from people all over the world but at this stage we have not read them.  They will be read tomorrow.  It lifts our hearts to receive these messages and we thank each and every one of you deeply.

Yesterday and today the motel is full, we are hosting contingents of foreign media from Australia and USA but we are wondering what we will do next week after they have gone – incentives to visit Christchurch are so much fewer now.  We will have to put all our efforts into making Christchurch as beautiful as it was so that we will once again be a favourite travel destination.

In closing, Jeff would like to express his heartfelt wishes and prayers to the Japanese students still trapped in the CTV building only 10 minutes walk from here.  Jeff lived his first 3 years in Japan in Toyama, the Prefecture these kids came from.  That something like this could happen on what is meant to have been a trip of a lifetime is very had to comprehend.  They are so far from home, it is so unfair.

Christchurch Earthquake... again...

At 12.50pm on 22 February, 2011, someone decided that Christchurch had not had enough.  We will never know why this verdict was reached but the penalty was harsh.  We have been visited by a vicious ripping apart of the earth and much that we love in our beautiful city is no more.  This of course refers to both the poor souls who are no longer with us as well as the physical destruction.

Once again, we begin our blog journey as we start to get back to normal and will make periodic updates.  

Today’s message was written to reply to all those who asked how we were.

Thanks for the email and your kind thoughts.  We really do appreciate them and we do need them.  Our beautiful city is a mess, the Cathedral Spire is down, 65 are confirmed dead and many are still trapped in collapsed buildings.  Over 1000 people are sleeping in Hagley Park but at least the big tents are up for the Flower Show and they are out of the rain.

We are shaken but safe.  The Motel is structurally sound and we have power but no water 10 hours after the quake.  We should be back to normal in a day or two and we are thankful for that.  It is the wider city area and those trapped, injured and dead that our hearts go out to.  

The kids were both at school and we spent a stressful 3 hours until we got confirmation that they were ok.  Being kids they were excited and we let them go take some photos.  It was not the time to lay down rules, this was their way of coping and they are good, responsible kids.  Some cops told them to get out of the central city and go home….they said they live in the central city!  

In a word, it was massive, much bigger than the 4 Sep quake.  In that quake we did not have any damage in the rooms but this time we lost 95% of our plates, cups and glasses and a few other things will require repairing.  We will need a massive shopping trip but we should be back to normal in a day or two!

In September the quake was 30kms away and a magnitude 7.1.  This time it was situated pretty much under Lyttelton and it was only 5km deep.  The magnitude was only 6.3 but the shallowness and closeness made the result so much worse.

Just as we thought things were getting better after 4 Sep., we are back at step 0.  Tomorrow we take step 1, and then step 2.  One step at a time till we get back to normal again.

Thanks for thinking of us! We really appreciate it.

CentrePoint on Colombo honored in the 2011 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards

Results are out and this year we are on the list, giving us one of those real nice warm fuzzy feelings!

• CentrePoint on Colombo

CentrePoint on Colombo Motel is in the Top 10 Hotels for Service in South Pacific Category by TripAdvisor® in its 2011 Travelers’ Choice® awards.


What more can we say, you’ve just gotta come and stay!

Many thanks to all our guests who have taken the time to review us. Great things happen when great people come together!


We’ve applied for a plaque to put on the counter (can’t wait!) and some flash keycards from TripAdvisor to show off our award.

Go to Trip Advisor and see just what everyone has been saying about us. There’s lots to read with 225 reviews; 178 Excellent, 45 very good, 1 average, 0 poor, and 1 terrible. Yes! 1 terrible - have a read and see what you think! 

We’re happy to be able to say that we get a real good range of people, from first timers to veteran Trip Advisor users reviewing our accommodation. Many thanks to all of you.


For the complete 2011 Travelers’ Choice list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice.

When Tweople get twogether

Today a bunch of people, most of them Tweople got together and did a number of amazing things.


Best of all, we gave #eqnz a big kick in the goolies, but we also helped out some people who have been kicked in the goolies by #eqnz. Give and take?

Missing Link is a business here in the Christchurch CBD in a beautiful heritage(?) building that survived the Sept. 4 quake but was red carded (means need to be fixed before people can use again) after the Boxing Day quake.

 The powers at be decided that while it was red carded, Missing Link was able to have a limited amount of time to get things removed as long as a structural engineer was present. #eqnz wasn’t gonna stop us!

So Twitter came to the fore and the word went out resulting in about 40 people, employees and Tweople etc. getting together to clean out the office in 55 minutes.

Don’t know about the others, but mr15 and myself responded to the twitter request to help some people in need, and as a way of saying Sod Off!! to #eqnz. We have been relatively lucky in this disaster and so its noice to be able to help those that have had a bit more shaken out of them than we have.

A lot of people wonder just what social media can do but this little effort today shows that something good can come from a bunch of people tapping away with a limit of 140 characters!


Footnote: Tweople are people who tweet. A lot of twitter words start with Tw, for example, twogether. #eqnz is a twitter hashtag which refers to the 4 Sep. earthquake. Goolies are goolies.


Follow @Centrepntmotel on twitter and enrich your life!?

19th New Zealand Scout Jamboree

Mr15 and mr12 are with the more than 4000 Scouts and leaders who are taking part in the 19th New Zealand Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek in Hamilton.


We are enjoying a staycation having the house to ourselves!

Mr15 went up in the Malvern Scout Group advance party to set the campsite up on 28 Dec and mr12 went up one day later. They are due to arrive back in 2 days after 10 days of fun and adventure. If you want to know more about what they are all doing, view the Jamboree facebook page

Mr15, Tak, who has recently been awarded his Chief Scouts Award, the highest award that can be achieved while in Scouts (as opposed to the next level, Venturers) got a special mention in the daily report from the Contingent Leader Adrian Price.


The following is some excerpts from the daily report;


“It was an exciting morning when the Governor General, Anand Satynand dropped by with RH Bill English and RH Phil Goff to see the Jamboree and to have lunch with Takuma Peters who has achieved his Chief Scout award.


Tak went along to the Chief Scout's Luncheon with around 120 other Chief Scouts who have been awarded their badge this year. Jo and I vetted his uniform and presentation last night and Tak organised cover for when he would be away from his patrol during the day. We borrowed a few things from amongst the troop to make sure he had some smarter pants, and a more modern shirt, but I felt like a proud uncle as he walked off to his appointment with the Scouting top brass as well as the top echelon of our political system, representing our group. Well done Tak.


He's become an aspirational goal for our Scouts and a number of them came up to us afterwards to ask just how they could get on the track to their own Chief Scout next year, a few of these were Scouts who'd expressed their intention to leave after the Jamboree.”


Reading that gave us a warm fuzzy feeling and made us feel proud parents! Well done to Tak for the commitment, perseverance and determination required in getting his Chief Scouts Award!


Footnote: Jeff is a Queen Scout (highest award in Scouting) and his Grandfather was a King Scout. Jeff is currently the Chair of the Malvern Scout Group Committee.


Interested in Scouting, call 0800scouts.

Oh no! Not again – Boxing Day Earthquake

Yes, again, but once again the motel had no damage and is operating normally.

Here’s what happened.

In Christchurch everyone had a quiet Christmas day with no noticeable aftershocks. It was indeed a relief, perhaps too much of a relief.

No sooner had the big day finished, we were revisited by aftershocks again. The first came just after 2am on 26 December, Boxing Day, and had us up checking that all was ok – yes we get used to it!

Can’t remember if we noticed the 5.30am shake but we did notice the one just after 8am. It brought back memories of just after the September quake when we had numerous shakey shakes in one day – was today going to be another one of these days?


We found out at 10.30am when we had a 4.9 aftershock – but was it an aftershock – technically yes but it felt more like an earthquake to us. The big difference was that the epicenter of this shake was at the corner of Moorhouse Ave and Montreal St. just over 2 kms from here, and it was shallow. It was a little frightening because the shaking was once again different from the other aftershocks we have been having, and as it turned out, it was more violent than the 4 Sep. shake. Luckily it was only 4-5 seconds long.

Still, the damage was done and this time it was centered in the centre of the city. Many older buildings which escaped damage in the 4 Sep quake were not so lucky this time and once again buildings were getting red stickers on them.

This time the damage was mainly limited to the central city area and our area escaped unharmed. Here at the motel, we and the building were shaken but once again we did not sustain any damage.

We can once again be thankful as no-one was injured and Christchurch just has another mess to clean up. Christchurch is once again shaken but we are still good!

Now, 5 days on, while a few buildings still have fences around them, the cordons have all been lifted and tonite’s New Year Party in the Cathedral Square will go on as planned.

We wish everyone a most wonderful New Year and look forward to welcoming everyone to Christchurch in 2011.