It’s been a chaotic week, with the massive earthquake in Christchurch.
It’s heartbreaking seeing the image of a city I’m so familiar with in ruins. And knowing that so many are suffering right now.
Christchurch is my second favourite place in New Zealand (hey, I’m a Southland girl born and bred so there’s nowhere that will take the No 1 spot from my home town) and it’s almost unbelievable that this could be happening.
I say almost because like so many others, I have friends and family in the middle of all that suffering: many of them have lost homes. Several are injured. At least one has suffered a worse loss.
Right now, the death toll is 145 and expected to grow considerably.
It’s been a long week for those of us in the media, bringing the news of what has been happening to a nation that is in shock. However, as tired as was by the end of the week, I’m sure it was nothing on the weariness being felt by those who are currently digging through the rubble of what is left of inner-city Christchurch in the hope of finding survivors.
Sadly, that hasn’t happened for more than three days.
However, while we’ve all been disgusted by the actions of those who have stolen emergency power generators and attempted to loot businesses hit by this quake, it’s worth remembering that those scum-sucking fucktards are very much in the minority. For the most part, Cantabrians have been supporting one another and doing all they can to help those who are in need: including so many ordinary every day people putting their own lives on the line in an attempt to help the trapped and injured in the minutes immediately after the quake.
And the rest of New Zealand has also rallied around, donating cash, clothes, food and manpower.
And it’s also good to see that people have managed to retain that down-to-earth Kiwi way of looking at things, like Don’s neighbour in the video below. I’m sure that (like me) you’ve seen so much footage of devastation and destruction that it’s hard to get your head around it. Here’s something that might just make you smile. It’s new reporting, Kiwi style.