Check out our Google map to see which areas have been hardest hit by aftershocks since the September 4 Christchurch earthquake.

Canterbury residents were shaken awake last night by two big earthquakes - exactly a month after the destructive 7.1 quake.

It's been exactly one month since Canterbury was rocked by the devastating 7.1 earthquake so I decided to return to the region to check out the damage.

Are you swelling with national pride? New Zealand has once more been granted Aaa status by international credit-ratings agency Moody's.

"Deeply appreciative" Tongans are showing their gratitude for NZ support with a big fund raising effort for the Canterbury quake victims.

Incumbent Bob Parker is way ahead of rival Jim Anderton in the Christchurch city mayoralty race, according to a poll issued today.

Sewage will flow into the Kaiapoi River for at least another month and it could take a year to rebuild all the area's quake-damaged sewerage systems.

About 150 small businesses are failing following the Christchurch earthquake, many of them in the retail and hospitality sectors, the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce says.

There has been more earthquake activity in Canterbury this morning and overnight with eight strong aftershocks continuing to rattle the region.

At least three aftershocks have hit Christchurch in quick succession this evening, the latest a magnitude 4 quake centred within 5km of Christchurch at a depth of 9km.

Things are looking up for thousands of householders in areas worst hit by the Canterbury earthquake.

The Government hopes it will be able to give thousands of Canterbury property owners in the worst earthquake-hit areas some idea of what the future holds by the middle of next week.