Hundreds of people devastated by the Christchurch earthquake are staying put in emergency shelters.

Dibley has the redoubtable vicar Geraldine, and Hororata has the Rev Jenni Carter.

Residents of an entire street say their homes are a write-off after the land liquefied underneath and swamped the properties in sewage and silt.

Victoria faced its worst floods in more than a decade at the weekend, with 200mm of rain falling in some areas.

The seismic shift in the South Island made headline news around the world.

After 48 hours - and what seems like countless aftershocks - the mood of the people of Canterbury is changing.

Safety first is the message authorities want to convey as many displaced locals face a second night away from their homes.

It was the earthquake New Zealanders have been told for years to expect. And Christchurch got it.

Rebuilding the damage caused by yesterday's earthquake could create a much-needed economic upturn for Canterbury.

All non-essential procedures booked in Christchurch for tomorrow have been cancelled as a result of disruptions from the earthquake.

Christchurch Hospital is already seeing a stream of people with minor injuries from trying to fix their houses.

A list of websites where Canterbury residents can get more information.

Most of the CBD remains closed off to the general public, in contrast to the outer suburbs where people are going about business as usual.

One of the casualties of yesterday morning's massive Canterbury earthquake was the historic Deans family homestead in Homebush.

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.

Some residents in the earthquake zone may be without power until the end of the week, says lines company Orion.

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

Weather analyst Philip Duncan gives his account of the Christchurch earthquake.

"It's a reminder to us all that in the case of natural disasters, it's not a matter of if, but a matter of when."

"It was like a giant had picked up our house and was just shaking it, shaking and shaking," said one resident.