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A temporary farewell


NZDavid

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Signing off for now, but I hope to be back.

 

The Christchurch earthquake has devastated our city. There are 72 confirmed dead at this stage, hundreds more missing, buildings destroyed. One colleague of mine so far is known to be among the dead, and I have grave concerns for others I have not been able to contact.

 

My wife and I and family are all fine. Our house escaped with minor damage. We have no running water and it might be weeks before it is reconnected. So we are getting a bit ripe without showers! Country folk have just trucked in artesian water to our street. Brilliant! Power is working at this stage; phone line and internet are intermittent.

 

Our newspaper, The Press, is still online: Stuff.co.nz - Latest New Zealand News & World News, Sports News & NZ Weather Forecasts. I shall be at home for the immediate future. I have put other projects on hold.

 

EMS workers are now arriving from around the world. To them and all rescue and support crews our heartfelt thanks. Thank you to all my forum friends for your support and concern; it is warmly appreciated.

 

I shall log back on and rejoin the forum at a later stage. It is valuable at this time, I think, to focus on our community and friends at all levels and to concentrate on what unites us. A disaster redefines our priorities and what really matters in life.

 

With best wishes,

 

David Killick

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It's the first I've got near these pages since Tuesday.

 

Like David, here at home we too are generally OK with just minor damage and breakages. We live just opposite the University of Canterbury and it seems we've been very very lucky. Because although we took the full force of the EQ as did the rest of Christchurch (and it was very violent) it seems we live on a small pocket of reasonably stable ground.

 

However, already I have learnt of the death of two friends and colleagues - and will have the first of those funerals to conduct early next week (I'm retired clergy). And although I've not ventured much beyond home since Tuesday, the photos and video coverage we are seeing shows very very serious damage, not only in the CBD but throughout the suburbs. And as David notes, the list of those still missing is vast. It's just numbing.

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David,

 

Strength, will be thinking of you.

 

Stephen

 

At first instance I was somewhat shocked that such a "minor" earthquake could cause such damage, untill I read how shallow it was at only 5 km underground. Australia and New Zeeland recently seem to be getting the wrong end of the stick.

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I was in the middle of a long correspondence with a photo-history colleague in Christchurch, Ken Hall, who also has a gallery there. Since the earthquake, neither I nor another photohistorian in Australia have heard from him. If anyone out there has any news of Ken I'd be really pleased to hear of it.

 

David

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Great to hear you're okay, Michael.

 

This morning's news - confirmed deaths have risen to 103, with 200 still unaccounted for. Heart-breaking.

 

I was at a funeral in the Cathedral last September (Michael, you may recall Robin Smith? perhaps you were at the funeral also). Seeing that lovely building in ruins, with the thought that 22 people got trapped inside is terribly, terribly sad.

 

We in the rest of the country are all thinking of you guys down there.

 

Cheers

John

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To David and Michael

 

So glad you and your families are safe and well, and yet so sorry you have both lost friends.

 

I wish you both best wishes and hope your city can recover from this devestating disaster. The New Zealand people are wonderful and I am sure you will all pull together.

 

Kind Regards - John

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