A feathery find in the rubble of central Christchurch has become a small symbol of hope for an earthquake-ravaged city.

Migrant communities in Auckland are opening not only their wallets but also their homes to earthquake victims.

The cordoned-off area of central Christchurch may be cut back within the next four days, says a local business leader.

The owners of the Canterbury Television (CTV) building are welcoming a government inquiry into why the building collapsed in the Christchurch quake.

A labour of love is taking shape as the employees of Christchurch earthquake victim Owen Wright craft his coffin from the timbers he loved to turn.

Bellringer John Dunn watched news footage of the earthquake-damaged ChristChurch Cathedral with an overwhelming sense of sadness.

The Govt is not ruling out changes to Working for Families or student loans as it considers how to foot the bill for Christchurch's recovery.

New Zealanders have paid tribute to the victims of the Christchurch earthquake with two minutes' silence marking the moment the disaster struck last week.

Last week's 6.3 magnitude earthquake unearthed a time capsule under the toppled statue of one of Canterbury's founding fathers, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said today.

The death toll from the Christchurch earthquake is likely to be about 240, police say.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says people should not head into the central city to observe the two minutes' silence in honour of the victims of last week's earthquake today. Civil Defence says 154 bodies have now been recovered.

Dean Dunbar lost a teenage son in Pike River mine. Now, after seeing two homes wrecked in the Christchurch earthquakes, he is not taking any chances with his daughter.

Nothing was going to stop Geoff Hadfield going in to get his wife Natasha as her body lay trapped alongside a dead customer in their earthquake-devastated shop.

Teams from across globe touched by city's loss toil side by side amidst rubble.