Scargill resident David Blackler talks about Tuesday's 5.7 earthquake.
A mum and her two young children had a lucky escape last night after narrowly missing a landslide, watching debris and dust come down in her car's rear vision mirror.
The woman, who does not want to be named, was driving along a farm track to her Scargill farmhouse whenthe severe magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck.
Geonet says it happened 20kms southeast of Culverden, putting it right beneath Scargill and the Greta Valley.
The mum says she noticed a rock on a track as she drove and thought a small aftershock might have dislodged it.
But then the back wheels of her 4WD began to slide and she feared the worst.
Her house has now been red-stickered after rockfall fears.
Two large boulders and many rocks high on a hill behind have been dislodged and could roll down onto their property.
In last night's violent shaking, a large rock 50cm across was dislodged and rolled down the hill, demolishing a dog kennel beside the house.
A Scargill family's home has been abandoned after a dislodged boulder rolled through their dog kennel and now they fear more boulders could destroy their house. Photo / Kurt Bayer
The family spent last night at another house on the large farm property.
The quake sounded like "a bomb going off", the woman's partner said.
"It was way worse than anything I've ever felt before," he said.
With the boulders teetering above them, the decision to leave the house was an easy one.
"It's just the what ifs," he said.
"We have another place we can stay at, so we're okay."
The tiny North Canterbury township of Scargill took the brunt of the jolt, which left broken chimneys and collapsed or cracked walls. Some houses may be write-offs.
A historic limestone homestead is feared damaged beyond repair.
The community hall at Scargill has lost an outside wall and been fenced off.
An exterior wall of Scargill's community hall collapsed in last night's severe aftershock. Photo / Kurt Bayer
Scargill carpenter David Blackler and his family spent a sleepless night in their cars after the shaking knocked tiles off their house and sent furniture and household goods flying.
An 80-pound (36kg) anvil in his garage was knocked over, as was a large lathe machine.
This morning, there was an eerie silence across the valley.
Even Blackler's five roosters were strangely muted.
Alison and Darryl Lewis, and 3-year old Rebecca, were getting dinner ready when the quake struck.
They fled outside when a second wave of shaking knocked them off their feet.
Darryl and Alison Lewis with 3-year old Rebecca in their Scargill kitchen which they fled in the shaking in last night's earthquake. Photo / Kurt Bayer
"I've never felt anything as strong as that," Darryl said.
Alison said: "It was like an explosion going off."
The shaking ripped their log burner out of the wall.
Lizzie Hay and her sons, McGregor, 3, Sam, 6, and Ben, 8, this morning pitched a tent to give them shelter from the hot day after their concrete Scargill home was badly rattled in the shake and suffered some cracking.
Lizzie Hay and her three sons, McGregor, 3, Sam, 6, and Ben, 8, this morning pitched a tent to give them shelter from the hot day. Photo / Kurt Bayer
The Hay family spent last night in rented accommodation. They, along with many others in the district, are today waiting for building inspectors to check their homes.
Many are afraid to spend another night in their homes until experts give them clearance. Others are worried about rockfall and damage to farm water pipes.
Meanwhile, a total fire ban across the quake-stricken Hurunui District came into force today.
The area has had a drought for more than two years.
