Queensland residents are about to begin the monumental task of cleaning up their properties as floodwaters start to recede.

There have been almost 3500 claims so far from the Boxing Day earthquake that struck Canterbury, the Earthquake Commission said today.

Catching up with Xavier Trousselot-Rhodes - the lad who fell out of his house as the earth heaved.

Queensland is losing up to $131m a day in coal exports over floods which have left 40 towns isolated or partly underwater.

Catching up with Angela Wasley

Devastating flooding in Queensland has affected more than 200,000 people in a disaster zone bigger than New South Wales.

A nine-year-old Auckland boy survived going over a 20m waterfall in Queensland.

New Zealand will send a Civil Defence emergency response team to flood-ravaged Queensland.

Sunny, hot and calm weather is expected to last only until Wednesday.

Queensland is suffering a disaster "of biblical proportions" that will set back its economic recovery, state Treasurer Andrew Fraser says.

Queensland's flood crisis has affected 200,000 people over an area bigger than France and Germany combined.

Two aftershocks have struck 20km west of Christchurch this morning, GNS Science is reporting.

Christchurch's Boxing Day aftershocks and the recent wet weather have seen more than 1000 claims lodged with the Earthquake Commission.

Tomorrow night's New Year's Eve celebrations in Cathedral Square will go ahead as planned, after quake-hit buildings were deemed safe.

Homes are underwater in the city of Bundaberg and residents are fleeing Emerald as Queensland's flood crisis continues to take a heavy toll.

The decision on whether Cathedral Square is safe enough to hold the traditional New Year's Eve celebrations after aftershocks on Boxing Day damaged buildings will be made tomorrow.

The southeast Queensland city is braced for its highest flood peak in 50 years, with 200 people already evacuating their homes.

Entire Queensland towns have been inundated and more could go under in a deluge that's swamped the state makes its way towards the sea.

Mass evacuations are under way across flooded Queensland with disasters declared in the inland towns of Theodore, Dalby and Chinchilla.