The Canterbury Civil Defence Group gave permission for the military to use the Kaikoura Emergency Access Route, Inland Rd.
The convoy was expected to take about three hours to get to the tourist town in the South Island that has been cut off since the 7.8 magnitude quake early on Monday. The MetService has forecast fine days for the next week.
The HMNZS Canterbury this morning transported a further 186 people to Lyttleton. They were then taken to the Horncastle Arena in Christchurch.
It brings the total number of people evacuated from Kaikoura to more than 900 since the quake.
Today's 4.6 aftershock hit 45km east of Kaikoura at a depth of 41km at 9.48am.
According to GeoNet, 238 earthquakes had rattled the country in the 12 hours to 5.30am today, but only two were over magnitude 4. There have been at least 3600 tremors since Monday's quake.
Power outages
Main Power spokesman Geoff Gale said 7000 customers lost power the night of the quake. On Saturday, 340 remained without electricity. "For every one of those 340 we're doing everything we can to get it restored."
Mr Gale advised that unsafe houses were a key reason why power may not be connected to a house even if it was available. People could call 0508 60 70 80 to find out more.
He asked people not to plug generators into wall sockets as it feeds back into the system and could cause havoc when the power was turned back on.
Water restored
A large proportion of the mains water supply was restored to Kaikoura township yesterday, but it is still in a fragile state and may be intermittent for some time, Civil Defence Controller John Mackie said. All water must be boiled for drinking.
"There is a limited supply at the reservoir, so we're still asking people to conserve water and make sure the valve to their toilets is turned off. And if there is a leak anywhere, please turn the water off at the street and get a plumber in."
Two-litre bottles of bleach for disinfecting water were available to households. People need to add five drops of bleach per litre of water. There are also three water stations - outside iSite, at New World supermarket and at South Bay - with household water supplies.
Even if you have water you shouldn't flush your toilet as the sewage system has been severely damaged. Civil Defence warn that if anyone uses their toilet, the system won't be able to cope and it could spill into the sea. Numerous chemical toilets have been set up around town.
Aid
Takahanga Marae would serve its last supper on Sunday night. From Monday, food parcels and ongoing assistance could be found at the Recovery Assistance Centre set up at Kaikoura Primary School.
Here you can also find information on civil defence emergency payments, EQC claims, mental health support and extra support for the vulnerable. Call the government helpline 0800 779 997 if you can't get to the centre.
Road closures
All roads in and out of Kaikoura are closed to the public. The New Zealand Transport Agency had hoped to get Inland Rd open to the public by the weekend but ongoing surveys have revealed a significant risk of landslip and there is a lot of work required to make the road safe.
Because of the extent of the damage on SH1 North to Blenheim, it may be months before that route is open again. SH1 South to Conway may be open in several weeks. Assessments were continuing.
Bridges that remain closed are:
• Clarence Valley
• Scotts Rd
• Mawthorne Rd
• 30km/hr limit on all other bridges
Travel advice
Picton, Blenheim, and Nelson are all accessible from the south via State Highway 7 (Lewis Pass) but please note if travelling to Picton or Blenheim this will add about 90-120 minutes extra travel time than the now closed SH1 route, Christchurch Transport Operations Centre (CTOC) says.
Between Christchurch and Picton, allow for a 7.5-hour trip. Those travelling to Nelson should allow for up to 30 minute delays due to increased traffic.
There had been a significant increase in traffic on SH7 since the quake and motorists should take extra care driving through this area.
Extra travel advice for the Canterbury and Marlborough region can be found on the NZTA website.
