A Civil Defence helicopter made a nappy run to a remote part of Marlborough to bring supplies to a family with a young baby who have been cut off.

An alternative inland route for ferry traffic has been established running from Picton to Christchurch, via Murchison and the Lewis Pass.

Power, water and road access is slowly being restored to earthquake-hit areas of the South Island as crews work around the clock.

Residents of Collina Terrace in Central Wellington have been allowed to briefly return to their houses to collect essential possessions.

Cordons have been reduced in quake-damaged Wellington but the fate of dozens of buildings is still unclear. Our reporter Tristram Clayton is at the scene.

The probability of another plus-7 magnitude quake within the next month has fallen - but the chances of multiple large aftershocks remains a virtual certainty.

Services slowly return to normal across Marlborough but many still advised to boil water.

Science reporter Jamie Morton talks to GNS Science earthquake geologist Dr Rob Langridge, who has been on the ground mapping damage around Marlborough.

Questions are being asked about why key government buildings in Wellington have been impacted so badly, as concerns about more buildings emerge.

Psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald discusses how we can best respond to those living through the earthquakes, and why it's okay to let yourself be afraid.

A truck driver has described the inland road into Kaikoura as being like Russian roulette.

Kaikoura locals are beginning to join the exodus out of their quake ravaged settlement. With 1000 tourists successfully evacuated

Geologists find previously unknown faultlines surface after Monday's 7.8 quake.

Trapped between two slips and cut off from news of the outside world, traumatised evacuees from Kaikoura tell their stories.

Bernadine Oliver-Kerby talks to Katie Milne from Federated Farmers about how the Kaikoura earthquake and subsequent aftershocks have affected livestock, milk production, the farmers and their families.

"If in doubt, get professional advice from an engineer or a surveyor," is the advice for homeowners affected by the quakes.

A further public health message has been issued for quake affected communities.

Tourists and locals arrived in Christchurch after long night aboard Navy ship.

The escalation of the Kaikoura Earthquake in magnitude from 7.5 to 7.8 now puts its power on a par with the equivalent energy release of 400 atomic bombs detonating.

Spark will waive the usual fees for moving or terminating a broadband contract early for people forced to move as a result of this week's earthquakes.

The changes to the freight routes in and out of Canterbury have seen an 18 per cent increase in cost.

Civil Defence is warning that a 150m high dam is at risk of failure after heavy rain.

As Govt announces its relief package, Kaikoura businesses spell out what they need to survive.

Parts of CentrePort have been reopened and are ready for business while preliminary assessment on Statistics House begins.

Brits evacuated from the quake zone grateful to the people of Kaikoura.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce is tipped to announce a support package today for businesses and the 800 workers in the town.

Modern buildings in central Wellington should never have been so badly damaged in Monday's quake and only lucky timing prevented any deaths, a seismic engineer says.