St Kentigern's: Earthquake Survivor

I can't believe it's been four years since we here in Canterbury were shook out of our beds at 4.35am by the 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

Whilst much of the Christchurch area was more affected by the February 22nd earthquake, for some the September event was perhaps even more scary. I count myself amongst them. I guess it's because I was in the relative safety of my vehicle that day, and not being awoken by the most ungodly noise that I have ever heard like I was on that September morning.

For those who have never experienced a big earthquake, it's a difficult sensation to describe. Things that you believe or solid and firm turn out to be far from that. Whilst our house's design means it is incredibly resistant to earthquakes, the viciousness of the shaking of the house that night will never leave me, nor will the flash that went through my mind of 'is this it?'. Our wood and zinc house rattled like a shaken baked bean can full of marbles. I could barely stand under the massive bracing beam that straddles our bedroom (the weight of which is carried all the way to the foundations below) thanks to the motion. Scary doesn't quite do it justice.

In the aftermath, several of my neighbours homes were damaged, but luckily we came out unscathed except for a couple of small cracks in the plaster on one gable wall. Despite what that night and the thousands of aftershocks that we experienced up to and beyond the 22 February, June, December events, the house has stood firm. It's my unshakeable belief (OK, a little bit of a pun was intended there) that this is the way to build.

Which brings me to the subject of my blip tonight, another Earthquake survivor. St Kentigern's church in Kaituna Valley has been one of the few stone churches to come through the seismic disruption relatively unscathed. After September and February there was some damage to the roof and tower but these were quickly fixed up. It's amazing to see the difference when you compare to the wrecked St John the Evangelist in Little River...