Dr Allan Alexander Sinclair, 45, was a doctor at The Clinic, which was on the fourth floor of the devastated CTV building.

Melanie Jane Brown, 54, of Christchurch, worked for insurance broker and risk advisor Marsh, which was based in the Pyne Gould Corporation building.

Search teams who were bracing for grim news had a "surreal" moment when they discovered no bodies buried in the ChristChurch Cathedral spire that had collapsed during last week's devastating earthquake.

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says if he had his way, most of Christchurch's heritage buildings would be bowled tomorrow.

An Australian searcher who helped remove victims from the earthquake-ravaged Canterbury TV building says bringing closure to families was his way of coping with the devastation.

The Dean of Christchurch Cathedral, Peter Beck, has told of his elation upon hearing no bodies had been found in the wreckage of the cathedral and its collapsed spire.

Rescuers were on the verge of recovering bodies from the Christchurch Cathedral's collapsed spire last night, after 10 painstaking days spent securing the fragile structure.

Downtown Auckland was a good place to be at 12.51pm on Tuesday.

Marcel Mihulka had carefully planned a romantic candlelit proposal at a hot spa overlooking Queenstown's Shotover River.

Teens who struggled to buy tickets won their fight to get their money back after their swimming event in Christchurch was cancelled.

The intensity of shaking during last week's quake was unprecedented in New Zealand for its Richter magnitude, says an engineering expert.

What is staggering about the Christchurch earthquake is the way it seems to keep getting bigger.

Politicians, industry bodies and celebrities have been urging tourists to keep coming, with the message NZ is open for business.

Central Auckland would suffer only a few casualties if struck by an earthquake similar to the Lyttelton shake.

It's the only time I saw a policeman cry. Acts of kindness can do that.