Paul Boocock is watching his livelihood slip away. The New Zealand-born former 60 Minutes cameraman moved home after years in Australia to start a bed-and-breakfast in Hapuku, north of Kaikoura, in 2011.
Then the Canterbury earthquakes struck, rocking Christchurch and the tourist industry Mr Boocock’s new venture was to depend on.
But, five years on, he and other tourism operators in Kaikoura were finally looking forward to a bumper summer; tourist numbers were expected to be back to normal — then Monday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck.
"That’s what seems so unfair," he said.
The "absolutely horrific" shaking not only jolted his 106-year-old bed and breakfast, it also shook the confidence of tourists all over again, many of whom were now already cancelling bookings, he said.
"There goes our summer. We are stuffed.
"We really don’t know what we are going to do," Mr Boocock said.
Tourism was estimated to be worth $120million to Kaikoura’s economy each year, but the ODT found shop after shop closed, a few wrapped in emergency tape or with broken windows boarded up.
The majority appearing unscathed — at least from the outside — but teams of urban search and rescue staff, building inspectors and military personnel were going door to door, checking for signs of damage and assessing the integrity of each structure.
Only a handful had so far been yellow-stickered, restricting their use, as the teams’ work continued.
But the town’s main shopping areas — located away from the throng of evacuation activity centred around Takahanga marae and the Kaikoura Hospital — remained all but devoid of people.
Further north, along Beach Rd, the earthquake’s impact was more obvious.
Power poles had toppled, a bridge had been ripped apart and the concrete and timber facade of a Mitre 10 store was lying on the ground, having peeled off the rest of the building.
Homes were not spared either — some fences having buckled — while large cracks had opened up in back yards, threatening to swallow houses and caravans in places.
Portaloos now sat on grass verges, while hastily handwritten signs outside closed shops asked for cash only, or warned of petrol shortages.
The supermarket’s aisles were taped off, but shopping trollies piled high with a random assortment of items had been wheeled to the front door for customers to rummage through in their hunt for supplies.
In outlying areas around Kaikoura, the story only got worse.Small settlements like Waiau and the district’s farming community felt the full force of the shaking, and, from the air, the twisted state highway and large slips were stark reminders of Monday’s shake. And, as the number of tourists left in Kaikoura dwindled, attention was turning to the sheer scale of the rebuild task ahead, including the need to help the tourist town’s businesses survive.
It was a challenge that has already caught the attention of Prime Minister John Key, who visited the town for a second time on Wednesday and yesterday revealed first details of financial support for businesses.
The $7.5million package would pay qualifying businesses’ wage bills for eight weeks initially, and could be extended.
Under the business package, local businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be able to get wage subsidies for up to eight weeks.
The subsidy is limited to those directly affected by blocked roads or the disturbed seabed, including Kaikoura, Cheviot, Waiau, Rotherham, Mt Lyford and Ward.
South Bay Fishing Charters owner Ian Croucher said the local business community had generally responded positively to the relief package.
"It won’t be enough to support everybody," he said.
"But it will get us through the next little while — it’s a fantastic start."
Mr Croucher said the upcoming tourist season was already "history". Some businesses would need a minimum of 12 months’ support "or we could lose them", he said.
He also wanted banks to "step up". Residents were concerned about their ability to pay mortgages and other debt during a difficult season, he said.
Destination Kaikoura general manager Glenn Ormsby also welcomed the relief package. He hoped Government support would eventually be extended to 12 weeks, as it was in Christchurch after the 2011 quakes.
At public meetings on the grass in Kaikoura this week, residents have become increasingly vocal about the need to help them get through, too.
Kaikoura Mayor Winston Gray was grilled by some residents while trying to assure them help was at hand.
"The Prime Minister fully understands how dependent our community is on visitors," he said.
That was not enough for one man, who yelled back: "You are worried about tourism. When can we get bread and water?"
Mr Gray said more supplies were coming in all the time, including from navy ships off the coast, helicopters, and, from today, New Zealand Army vehicles via the inland route to Kaikoura. But the challenge of rebuilding other key infrastructure would be a big one, with power to outlying area possibly out for weeks, and significant damage inflicted on Kaikoura’s wastewater infrastructure, Civil Defence controller John Mackie said.
Reticulated water supplies were being reconnected, but the town would have to rely on portaloos and chemical toilets for some time yet, he said.
"Then we can plan the recovery of the community," he said.
Mr Gray said the support coming from all around New Zealand and overseas was humbling. Kaikoura resident Sharon Vickers said the recovery would take time, but with tourists promising to return, the town would bounce back.
"We will get through it. People are very resilient here."
And, without a radio or generator, Mr Boocock and his neighbours were heading to high ground each night — in case another powerful quake generated a tsunami.But, while the wait for help continued, Mr Boocock remained philosophical about his plight and confident Kaikoura would survive the challenges ahead.
"I think it will, because it’s a great town. It will survive, definitely."
— additional reporting The New Zealand Herald