Sam Fisher: Hot pies for breakfast help warzone survival

Photo / Geoff Sloan

Confession time. I live in Avondale.

That is, on the banks of the Avon, next to Aranui, Avonside and over from Dallington. Yes, despite my metra-Kiwi language and references, I'm in Christchurch. I won't be offended if you have to read this slowly so it makes sense.

And it's time to talk of shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages, large quantities of mud, car wheels and suspicious-looking black bags that now bob in the Avon mud reservoir.

The Reservoir is what we used to refer to as the Wainoni Loop of the Avon River. I was here for this quake, bravely clinging to a table leg as the table bounced across a kitchen.

I knew immediately it was bigger than the last quake and that the damage would be severe. Of course, 60 per cent of Christchurch you can travel through and be unaware there was a devastating earthquake at all. The damage is in the east and is patchy around the rest of the city.

Friends tell me there is a long-standing suspicion in Auckland (when anyone bothers to think about it) that the resentment towards the City of Sails is simply because other places just want to be like Auckland.

Well, now we are like Auckland: since last week, it can take a couple of hours to travel 100m down the road.

We're a hardy lot down here - we have to be. Hardly any roads, no bridges, huge mud piles and banks of sand ... Driving down lumpy, broken roads at night, dust storms blowing wildly, I was cast back to 1992 when I served in Sri Lanka with Peace Brigades International. The main differences are Christchurch is considerably colder, and there are fewer bullet holes.

Otherwise, the comparison between the mud of the Garden City and a war zone are apt. I've spent a few days at Civil Defence headquarters and it is governed by a sense of military purpose and precision. The city council may have done bugger all over here after the first quake but they have risen to the challenge this time.

And while we don't have any portaloos in our part of Avondale or Avonside, we hear that there's at least one street in Beckenham where they have power and water and one portaloo per house - and we're grateful for them.

The challenge now is surviving. We've picked up some food tips, like the joys of a hot breakfast - choosing between service station pies or sausage rolls, and how to select the best accompanying flavour of potato chips. I can also give advice on cooking with a camp gas stove, the time and place to be a naked chef, the uses of melted ice cream and how to water down milkshakes without water.

I don't think it's all over for Christchurch - when the rebuilding happens we have options. For example, we can be the world's most advanced earthquake-proof single-layer city. Or the only Eastern European-themed concrete tilt slab city in the world.

Christchurch residents are proceeding with determination and grit. The grit is through our hair, clothes and houses, but we know one day it will wash out.

I personally knew at least three of those who have tragically died and it is sobering. What some families are going through I can't imagine.

Each night before I go to bed I wonder whether another quake will mean I won't wake up tomorrow. However, I know more people who survived - right now we've won the quake and it's all about surviving the rebuilding.

The messages of hope and support from all around New Zealand are very welcome.