Corin Dann: Heartbreak goes on for those left behind

Corin Dann. Photo / Supplied

They told us how the quake hit them and their families. Now, five Cantabrians tell us how their lives have changed.

I wish I could report that, three months on from the quake, life for my friends and family is starting to get back to normal. But from what I've seen and heard I know there is still a long way to go.

I asked one of my mates last week how he was holding up. "Well," he said, "we've only got a few more days of the chemical toilet, so that'll be nice."

Imagine having to clean out a chemical toilet for a family of five every four days for two months.

If chemical toilets aren't doing your head in this winter in Christchurch, something will be.

Perhaps it's the flapping of the tarpaulin on the roof waking you up during the night, the agonising wait for EQC, the disappointment that comes when their quote doesn't match your insurance company's or the cold hard reality that getting the house fixed will take years.

But while I've heard these stories many times over the past few months, one thing I haven't seen is any weakening of resolve. In fact, the spirit and humour shown in the face of adversity has been inspiring.

Take my twin sister Amy's "quake party" where all you needed to bring was a glass (hers had been smashed), or the boarded up French doors she's going to cover with wallpaper and call her "feature wall".

Or my political activist cousin James (aka EdMuzik to his Twitter followers) who, since mere seconds after the September quake, has written hundreds of angry, perceptive and often amusing tweets criticising the response of authorities and the media to the disaster.

His tweets are a constant reminder that any attempts by central Government to ram through changes without local support will meet fierce resistance.

Two weeks ago I travelled back to Christchurch, with my brother Liam, to make a surprise appearance at my Dad's 70th. It was a fleeting, one-night only visit.

But it is the type of visit I would recommend displaced Cantabs try to make this winter if they can. It's not just money or physical labour that Canterbury needs right now. It's moral support.

They need us to listen to their complaints and keep acknowledging the damage. Keep being that person.

I'm not much good at fixing roofs or offering insurance advice, but when it comes to helping spark up a party I can hold my own.