Hundreds gathered in Christchurch's Botanic Gardens for a public memorial service to mark the fourth anniversary of the deadly Canterbury earthquakes, which claimed 185 lives.
A minute's silence was observed at 12.51pm - the exact time the quake struck on February 22, 2011 - followed by the ringing of the Peace Bell, which is made up of melted down coins from each United Nations member state.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel, who this morning attended a memorial service with family members of some of those who died, said the quake was "just like it was yesterday" for some.
"For others it feels like a very long time. I myself can't believe it's been four years since that fateful day."
Ms Dalziel told the crowd it must be remembered many people were still facing an uphill battle.
"For some it is unanswered questions about what happened on that day, or the lack of resolution on their claim ... or a loss of a sense of power or control over what has happened."
Associate Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Nicky Wagner also addressed the memorial.
"On this special day, we remember those who have passed on, those who were injured and every single person who was touched by the earthquakes in our city.
"And we celebrate the love and the strength of our community and we look forward to working together as we create the future that we all want for Christchurch and for Canterbury."
The names of all the dead were read out during the hour-long service, which finished with official guests laying wreaths at the temporary memorial site.
River of Flowers commemoration sites were open all day along the Avon and Heathcote rivers and at the estuary. People could cast flowers into the water and write messages on a Tree of Hope.
The central city was all but levelled in the 6.3 magnitude quake -- and some families were revisiting the day's events to mark the anniversary.
Resident Tim Dyer sought refuge with friends and family on the night of the quake, and large group decided to move in together for the night.
Reliving it has become an annual tradition.
"We don't bring anything, you have to turn up as you did on the day. So you can't bring food or sleeping bags or anything like that, you just turn up and have to make do with what you've got."
A University of Canterbury professor is encouraging people to commemorate the anniversary of the February 2011 earthquake by reflecting on the tragedy.
Paul Millar said the university had a massive collection of documents, images, and data-sets available for online viewing -- each painting their own picture of the devastation the earthquake caused.
He said looking at them was a real learning opportunity for people.
"What would you do if you were in a building that collapsed on you, or you couldn't live in your house anymore, or you lost your job?"
- Newstalk ZB staff
