Off to Stewart island

We got back home yesterday afternoon- luckily without running out of gas. There was no gas left in Kaikoura, and every small town on the way home was out too. The gas stations here had line-ups 30 cars long and set a limit of $50-$60 per car. A lot of people are trying to leave town, but some people can't- unless it's by foot or bike because many roads are badly damaged with gaping cracks, and many streets are flooded or filled with silt from liquefaction. Only 20% of the homes in Christchurch have running water, and 50% have power- so we are very lucky in our area because we have both. They even picked up the garbage today which was a huge surprise! We hope that we can continue to live here- with a huge lack of livable homes in Christchurch, it's hard to say what our landlord will do.
We have decided to leave again tomorrow (Friday) morning. Air New Zealand is offering $50 out of Christchurch to almost anywhere in New Zealand to make it easier for people to leave if they want. We are flying to Invercargill and from there going to Stewart Island (a small island off the south tip of the south island) to go hiking for a few days. Since the water treatment and sewage systems may not be back up and running for many days, and the university is likely to be closed for at least a couple weeks, we thought we should try to make the most of this time. We'll be back on Tuesday and hopefully things will be a bit more organized so that we can help with the clean up.

Earthquake- February 22nd

Thanks so much to everyone for the emails and messages expressing concern for Brad and I! We are so grateful to have such wonderful friends and family and we love you!
We are ok and our power is back on at home. We are in Kaikoura right now, but we may head back later- we aren't sure. There are major sanitation issues and we won't be able to use our toilet- which is a major issue (let alone shower or drink the water without boiling it). But the main thing is that we are ok.
We were both at the university at the time of the earthquake (myself in engineering, and Brad in education) on the 3rd and 4th floors respectively. I was filling up my water bottle in the washroom, and at first I thought it was just a little aftershock but it kept on going. I didn't know what to do or where to stand- the walls were cracking, doors were swinging, lights were smashing. When it stopped, everyone was fleeing the building and I couldn't go back to my office to get my wallet, bag, phone and jacket. At first I was upset and wanted to go back in- even though I was shaking- and knew it was not a small earthquake. I stood in the parking lot with a few other people that had important items in the building- but then another big aftershock hit and the water tower next to the building (which was already cracked and leaking) started swaying, I realized that it was absolutely ridiculous to think I should try to go back in. It's funny how you completely lose your senses. We are so lucky we weren't downtown! Just 45 minutes earlier I was in a big department store- and I am so glad I wasn't there when it hit! Everything falling off the huge shelves.....
A lot of people are still missing and many people have lost loved ones. Please pray for them, and for the people who are still trapped, and for those who were injured.

Lake Guyon

Stanley Vale Hut

Horses (at lake Guyon)

Lake Guyon from a distance

The five hour walk to Lake Guyon follows several valleys and has one mountain pass. We almost got lost but luckily ended up at Stanley Vale hut- which is an old farmhouse made from mud and wood that is now a hut for trampers and cyclists- about one hour's walk from the Lake Guyon hut. The visitors book at Stanley Vale was signed by a man whose grandmother had been born there!
Lake Guyon is a beautiful and clean little lake with a cute 4 person hut. Two ladies at the hut rode their horses in (it's allowed on certain trails)- what a great way to come. Instead of staring at the ground so you don't trip, you could look around the whole time!

Quail Island

Basalt Cliffs

California Quails

Quail island is a small scenic reserve in the middle of Lyttleton Harbour. The boat ride out is only about 10 minutes. The island used to be a leper colony, as well as a temporary quarantine area for farm animals brought over from Europe. It used to be inhabited by hundreds of native New Zealand quails- but they went extinct in the late 1800's due mostly to hunting and loss of habitat (though the introduced California Quail lives on). The island is a few kilometers across and has a couple of nice beaches that are calm and not very busy. The walk around the island takes about 2 hours. It went up to 36 C today, and it was much more humid and less windy than usual. The perfect day for swimming- but we forgot our swimsuits!