Ok so today did start off a really good day and then it all went to s***. It was a quiet drive from Twizel. When we got to Christchurch we were discussing that we were going to go to the second hand shops. Then we turned the corner and the traffic was unblievable. It was everywhere. Bumper to bumper in both directions. We couldn't understand why the traffic was so busy at just after 1:00pm. Then as we drove along mum wound down her window and asked the guy in the car next to us if the traffic was always this busy? He said 'you 2 not from around here?' and we said no we are from Australia. He then told us to put on the radio as there had been a earthquake. Mum looked at me and we both thought that he was bull s***ting us, but we put on the radio anyway. Then the news report came on. We couldn't believe it. Then next thing you know the after shocks start. Little at first and then they got bigger. I held on to the car for dear life and burst into tears more then once. Mum was strong but scared s***less. I don't think that I have ever been so scared. They just kept on coming. One after the other. I'm glad mum was there. I don't think I would have known what to do. I think I should of practiced dads yoga classes. It took us 3 hours to go 10km. We finally got to our hotel finding it a mess and no water. Not knowing what to do. They were going to put us upstairs. As soon as I saw the structural damage I said no way. We decided to get out of Christchurch and find somewhere else to stay. We finally found a pub to stay at. It had no lock on the door and mum and I pulled the bed over the door to lock ourselves in. Then the young chick from the pub came knocking on our door. She went to open it and found that we have barricaded ourselves in. We are now the joke of the bar. There was a phone call for us. It was the Australian embassy they were trying to locate us to make sure that we were ok. I said that we were fine but were wondering how they found us? He said that when he rang the hotel that we were supposed to be in, they said that we had moved on, so he went one by one calling accommodation until they located us. He gave us his phone number in case we needed him. He needed to verify that both me and mum were safe. Thanks to everyone that have been concerned about us. We are safe. We are now going to spend 3 days at Hanmer Springs having massages and and relaxing in thermal pools to get over this experience. I may even go horse ridding.
News updates Tamara and I are a little quiet it has been hard for us to get our head round what has happened. We have had the news on and this is what they are saying. 65 people have been killed. 100 people are still missing. Doctors are amputating limbs from many people to get them free.A child died in his fathers arms while his dad tries to save him. A young mother is killed while carrying her baby. A young girl is killed as she is walking into a shopping centre. Many more things are being told because they are searching in the rubble of 10 large buildings. More than thirty people have been rescued over night. No water and little electricity. Water is being handed out at the school no school till next week. The streets are full of black mud and people are asked to stay at home DONT go out. Many families have lost their homes. The people over her pull together just like we do. If it were not for us gone shopping in gerldine we would have been in town with the rest of these poor victims. The rescuers are stepping over bodies trying to save the living. After shocks are still hitting the city this morning 2 in 15 minutes 1 registering 4.5 this is like a small quake on it's own another just registered 5. They are expecting the after shocks to last at least 12 weeks. We have just arrived at Hammer Springs after our stay at the hotel our problems are so small when you look at what others are going threw. We were told on the news that we should evacuate if we could other travelers I hope have done the same to make things easier for those who really need help. A lot of local people are moving away. Children don't want to live there anymore.