Two New Zealand navy vessels have reached quake-hit Kaikoura, bringing supplies of food and water and helping to evacuate hundreds of stranded tourists and residents.
The huge tremor, which struck just after midnight on Sunday, buffeted much of central New Zealand, killing two people and completely cutting off the seaside town about 150km north of Christchurch in the South Island.
The magnitude of the quake was yesterday upgraded to 7.8 after GNS Sciences reassessed data, making it equal in size only with three other New Zealand quakes in the past 150 years.
They are the Dusky Sound quake in 2009, the Napier Earthquake in 1931 and the Murchison Earthquake in 1931.
`The HMNZS Canterbury appeared on the horizon about 7.30am today and was joined by the HMNZS Wellington as tourists, rugged up against a cool, cloudy and occasionally drizzly morning, queued for breakfast at Takahanga marae.
They've been staying in iwi Ngai Tahu's communal halls and fed with crayfish.
Hundreds were evacuated today and were being processed at the marae by police and Civil Defence workers. They were given tickets for buses which are transporting them to helicopter flights or the Canterbury.
ODT senior reporter Chris Morris has been staying in the area that continues to get strong aftershocks, and said there was an air of confusion over travel coordination but people were tolerant of the situation and excited at finally being able to get out.
Some people are prepared to stay put and drive out, but others have left keys to their vehicles with police for the time being.
Nations offer help
New Zealand has accepted offers of help from the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore.
The USS Samson, the first American warship to visit New Zealand in three decades, was steaming to the region and providing two helicopters to help in recovery efforts.
Until an agreement reached last month, US military ships had been prevented from visiting New Zealand due to the country's nuclear-free stance adopted in the 1980s.
The Wellington was surveying the harbour area at Kaikoura to ensure it was safe for vessels, Civil Defence director Sarah Stuart-Black told reporters this morning.
Officials said more than 400 people had been evacuated by helicopters from the town, a popular base for whale watching, including a dozen with a range of injuries. "Between 700 and 1,000 people still require evacuation," Ms Stuart-Black said.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee welcomed the support of nations attending the International Naval Review to help with the response to the quake.
Australia had diverted HMAS Darwin, which was expected off Kaikoura this evening. It will operate its Seahawk helicopter from offshore. Canada was sending its frigate HMCS Vancouver. Other New Zealand vessels Te Kaha and the tanker ship Endeavour have also been deployed.
Monday's quake was felt thoughout New Zealand. Massive landslides that buried road and rail links along the South Island's east coast will take "many months" to repair, Transport Minister Simon Bridges said.
The Government was expecting to receive satellite imagery later on Wednesday to assess landslips.
"Look at this road here," Prime Minister John Key said on a journey to Kaikoura. "I just don't see how you can ever repair that bit of road. The whole mountain has moved over."
New Zealand lies in the seismically active "Ring of Fire", a 40,000km arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean. Christchurch is still recovering from a 6.3 magnitude quake in 2011 that killed 185 people.
State of emergency declared
Canterbury Civil Defence declared a regionwide state of emergency yesterday. With no road access into Kaikoura, and limited cellphone coverage, residents and stranded tourists remained cut off from the rest of the country.
Power was back in some parts of the town but almost everywhere there was no running water or working sewerage. More portable toilets would be set up in the town today.
In Ward, residents and visitors experienced similar problems. Roads in and out of the tiny North Canterbury town were closed. Residents relied on food and water delivered to the community hall.
Meanwhile, it is believed at least 15 houses and buildings need to be demolished in the hard-hit town of Waiau, where the population is less than 400 people.
Power was restored to the township yesterday.
An army of volunteers in 4WD vehicles has arrived to help, including checking on remote farms, shoring up chimneys or rooftops, and moving donated food into a classroom in the school which is acting as a Civil Defence base and shelter.
Kaikoura had less than 24 hours of drinking water left on Tuesday.
Civil Defence said restoring water supplies and ensuring bottled water was flown into town remained its top priority as many people remained homeless because of Monday's quake. More than three tonnes of water was flown in to Kaikoura yesterday.
Medical teams have also arrived to help prevent an infectious disease outbreak.
"Power cuts, damaged sewerage infrastructure, people sharing accommodation and a lack of access to clean drinking water can create ideal conditions for the spread of infectious diseases,'' Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alistair Humphrey said.
Road problems
Kaikoura Mayor Winston Gray said it would be at least Saturday before the inland road from the town to Hanmer would reopen.
New Zealand Transport Agency contractors would resume on-site work this morning after working throughout yesterday to assess the safety of key state highway routes.
Agency highways manager Neil Walker said the alternative inland state highway route from Picton to Christchurch via Murchison and the Lewis Pass had reopened.
"This will likely be the main state highway route from Christchurch to Picton for several months,'' he said.
The average trip on the route was expected to take seven and a-half hours.
- Chris Morris, Reuters and NZ Herald
