Andrew North is a former inner city resident now temporarily residing in Timaru, a port town about 140 kilometers to the south of Christchurch with a population of less than 30,000.
North told The Epoch Times via e-mail that quake refugees are flooding into Timaru by the day, now exceeding 6,000, an increase of 1,000 from yesterday.
Visiting the welfare center at Caroline Bay, he was greeted by a gentleman called Malcolm, who checked North and his family were alright and "facilitated every request" he made.
"There were people around me in all states of total disbelief as the survivors were comparing stories—some good, some bad, and some just plain sad," North said.
"It was good to have, after so many days, fresh food and drink. Such a delight after such a stressful week. The volunteers manning the welfare centre should be complimented for their sterling effort, tirelessly providing for the needs of the many."
The normally sleepy town has been transformed, and locals are commenting on the change. "The main street in Timaru is such a buzz. Businesses are booming with such an influx of refugees," North said.
He met a friend called Joan at the local supermarket who told him "it's so nice to meet a local amongst the maddening crowd," saying that she had never seen the place so busy.
North also caught up with an old schoolfriend, who was delighted to find him safe after the quake, he said, adding, "but the question on her lips [was] did I know anything about the rest of our class?"
In contrast, back in Christchurch, the landscape is deserted in places with scenes of devastation at ground zero.
The dwindling population of New Zealand's second largest city, which was close to 350,000 before the quake, uses face masks for protection against the dust being raised by strong winds, threatening to dislodge loose masonry from damaged buildings.
Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, sifting through the rubble in search of the missing dead. At last count police said the official death toll was 159 with a total of around 240 lives believed to have been claimed.
Experts warn that some bodies may never be recovered, particularly for those killed by falling buildings, and DNA tests and dental records are required, while families await news of missing relatives.
Entering the city on Highway 1 via Hornby, North said he could hardly believe it was ever hit by a quake. But transiting through the suburb of Riccarton, the level of destruction became "blatantly obvious."
Heading towards Bealey Avenue, a major road to the north of the CBD, there were few signs of the disaster. But at Bealey Avenue itself, "the shock and the horror of destruction at Carlton corner is so overwhelming," North said, "seeing Knox church in its final death throes."
As he drove further east, North said tears were in his eyes, taking in so many beautiful old houses "wrecked beyond belief, so much of Christchurch's history gone."
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