In Gear | Rotary in Southern New Zealand Issue 2 | Page 74

During the first three days, I worked
night shifts with St John. During the
late afternoon and early evening, we
conducted welfare checks throughout
the community. In one instance, we went
up Mt. Fyffe Road to check up on an
elderly couple that had not yet reported
in. As we walked up the drive, we noticed
that the chimney of the wood-clad house
had collapsed and that there was a tarp
covering the hole in the roof. After being
invited inside by the elderly couple it
was hard not to notice that the structure
had been given a fairly good shake. Jars,
bottles, books, personal memorabilia,
cups and dishes had fallen off the shelves
and were scattered ankle-high throughout
the floor, cemented to the floor in a sticky ooze. “Don’t
worry about us – we are quite alright and should be
able to sort things out in a day or two. Our neighbour
is just down the hill, and, since he uses the water from
our well, we are sure that he will look after us,” the
husband smartly stated. It would be a mantra that
would be repeated over and over as similar welfare
checks were conducted throughout the week: “Don’t
worry about me, but do look after my neighbour, my
friend, or my family member”.
As the days passed, more responders filed into the
town. The tourists, after living in their makeshift
villages, driving aimlessly around town, and stationing
themselves in front of the medical centre to connect
with the outside world through their smartphones
became an issue that had to be dealt with. Aftershocks
sent them scurrying, while the locals just gave each
other that knowing look and lifted their drinks off the
table so not to spill their precious contents. The HMNZS
Canterbury was now anchored in the south bay waiting
to take them on a scenic cruise to Lyttelton. Buses from
Dolphin Encounter and
Whale Watch queued up
to whisk them away; keys
to recreational vehicles
were given to the police,
and approximately 700
souls boarded the naval
ship. By the next day, only a few stragglers, hoping to
take their rented campers out the inland road once it
opened, were left. The marae quit serving food; Red
Cross, Civil Defence, and a number of other disaster
relief agencies moved into the new town council
building, and Kaikoura began to assess its needs for
the long term.

Rob and Kate Overly
that had been strewn all over their floor, placed them
in stacks and trolleys, and quickly opened the doors to
allow families the opportunity to restock their homes.
Unfortunately, perishable stock such as milk and meat
were spoiled.
I must confess that the impact of this was personally
felt by me because, prior to the earthquake, I had
invited just about everyone in the town to a surprise
birthday party for Kate, which was to be on November
16. It was also a chance for us to say our goodbyes to
the community that we loved, as we would be leaving
for Blenheim so that Kate could begin her new job later
that week. Melville and Julie Syme had volunteered
their house and everyone, except Kate, was in on ‘our
little secret’. It was going to be so large that the only
way to be sure there was going to be enough food was
to tell everyone that it was potluck.
The earthquake trumped the party. The following
Sunday, the community had an interfaith service at
Churchill Park. After the service, a number of people
came up, either apologising for not being able to attend
Kate’s party or mentioning that
they did not get the message
that the party was cancelled
and went to the party only to
see that no-one was there.

The earthquake
trumped the party.”

Short-term needs were quickly and smartly addressed
by the various agencies. Portaloos and chemical toilets
were given out to the members of the community, along
with bottled water. Fuel from the two service stations
was rationed, giving priority to first responders.
The employees of New World, the one grocery store
that was not damaged, gathered cans and packages

But, most of all, they came up
to give us a hug and tell us that they were glad that we
had not yet left the community.
Restaurants and cafes such as the Craypot, Whaler,
and Pier, that were not yellow or red stickered, became
community gathering places where folk congregated
to share their anecdotes on the earthquake. The Pier,
which generously provided food (dare I say, crays) at
the medical centre where St John’s command centre
was located, also served as a favourite gathering place
for the first responders to hold meetings and social
events. Because of the initial shortage of supplies,
these establishments quickly offered ‘survival menus’
based on what was readily available. The supermarket,
too, followed suit.

Page 74 | In Gear - Rotary in southern New Zealand - District 9980 | www.rotarydistrict9980.org