Radio personality visits welfare centre

hristchurch radio personality Simon Barnett. Photo / Geoff Sloan

Qwinnall Ngangaha's eyes light up as radio host Simon Barnett enters the Linwood Welfare Centre.

Despite being displaced from her Avonside property after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Saturday and unsure if or when she will be able to return home Ms Ngangaha's spirits appeared high.

She was the first to leap at the chance to have a photo with the Christchurch personality.

Mr Barnett visited the centre this morning, moved by "hundreds and hundreds" of emails and text messages from the public asking how they could help.

Ms Ngangaha, who is nearly five months pregnant, had been at the centre since Sunday morning, after walking from her home with her 17-month-old daughter Hilda-Rose Light after concerns her house was unsafe.

"It was like someone was moving it with a tow truck," Ms Ngangaha described her house during the earthquake.

She said her ceiling "collapsed".

"I grabbed the broom and was trying to push it back up."

Ms Ngangaha's said her Housing New Zealand house backyard also "sunk".

She said Housing New Zealand were to assess the house over the next few days to see whether they could return.

"All I can hope for is that we can go home but if not we'll just have to start over".

However, she thought she would be at the centre for at least two weeks.

Mr Barnett told Ms Ngangaha: "You've got a marvellous attitude".