When the tremors return, residents at one Christchurch rest home band together with cups of tea and company.

At least 22 commercial properties and 50 homes in the small quake-damaged North Canterbury town of Kaiapoi have been deemed unsafe, with its mayor admitting the town is changed forever.

Most schools in the quake-devastated Canterbury region are not likely to open until Monday, the Education Minister says.

The final bill for the Christchurch earthquake may reach $4 billion, almost double initial estimates, Treasury Secretary John Whitehead said afternoon.

Aftershocks are continuing to hit Canterbury with one measuring 4.1 the latest in a series today that also included a 5.1.

Mayor Bob Parker says Christchurch city is coping "amazingly well" with the continuing fall-out from Saturday morning's earthquake.

The Government has set aside $2.4 million for trauma counselling for Christchurch earthquake victims, Paula Bennett says.

The state of emergency in Christchurch has been extended a further seven days following an aftershock of 5.1 on the Richter scale this morning.

A golden retriever puppy needed emergency surgery after cutting off the side of his nose running away in panic when the quake hit.

Rebuilding up to 100,000 damaged and destroyed homes in quake-hit Canterbury could take years, a building executive says.

Mayor Bob Parker is unsure about the comparison with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, but the earthquake that struck Christchurch could help him keep his job.

Christchurch was "inevitably going to be brought to its knees" by an earthquake because of the nature of the ground it stands on, a scientist says.

"It's essentially a ghost town. You can see utter devastation," said Prime Minister John Key.

Services and infrastructure in Christchurch have been seriously affected by this morning's quake. Here is the current situation.

Cities throughout New Zealand will be voting for new leaders as Auckland ushers in the Super City in October. Jarrod Booker examines two very different candidates running for Christchurch mayor.

A Christchurch city councillor won't stand at the next election after a ratepayer-funded US trip to study sandcastles.

A city councillor is keeping her head below the parapet after taking a $4000 ratepayer funded trip to California to study sandcastles.

He's dealt with plenty of sticks and stones in his long political career, but Jim Anderton may yet find that names will hurt him.