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.

Fears today's storm will hamper clean-up efforts in regions devastated by this week's earthquake.

Oamaru's little blue penguins have become international sensations with a video of them using an underpass clocking thousands of views.

A multi-million dollar racing car test track situated near Monday's mega-quake epicentre is "pretty much ruined", says its Australian IT tycoon owner.

Prime Minister John Key has promised fast-track help to keep Kaikoura businesses on their feet.

Geotechnical engineers face an "unprecedented" challenge in tackling the many large landslides that have blocked quake-damaged Kaikoura's coastal State Highway 1.

The elevation of Monday's quake from a magnitude 7.5 to 7.8 makes it compare in size only with four other New Zealand quakes in the past 150 years.

It was a day of rescuing travellers stranded in Kaikoura and reassuring those left behind as the PM dropped in to survey the scene in Kaikoura today.

KiwiRail is reportedly looking into whether it can ferry people and freight from Wellington to Lyttelton.

The head of Canterbury Tourism is urging people to keep their travel plans to the region after Monday's earthquake. Christchurch

Supermarket shelves in the earthquake-stricken region of North Canterbury will remain stocked if the Ports of Auckland has any say in it.

Financial aid is pouring in for earthquake victims with more than $50,000 already raised in the Red Cross appeal.

Port of Malborough expects to find out today whether the ferry terminal building at Picton is structurally sound.

Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the cost of the earthquakes was still to emerge, but it would be in the billions of dollars.

Tourists are heading to the South Island's West Coast in their droves after the devastating east coast earthquake.

Quake-ravaged regions are bracing for a fresh weather onslaught with heavy rain and bitterly cold gales set to batter central New Zealand in the next 48 hours.

English tourist had just turned in for the night when the earthquake struck. Now the terrified visitor is desperate to get home.

An Alexandra satellite research centre could be operational by mid-next year.

As Canterbury Civil Defence declared a region-wide state of emergency, people from around South Island banned together to support those affected by quake.

Kaikoura's tourism industry fears for the future after this week's quake raised the seabed by at least a metre.

Civil Defence said the national support effort will continue tomorrow following Monday morning's 7.5 magnitude earthquake near Kaikoura.

Vital supplies are being flown in as Kaikoura has less than 24 hours of drinking water left.

Most phone services affected by yesterday's earthquake have now been fixed, Vodafone says.

NZTA contractors have been working urgently throughout the day to assess the safety of key South Island state highway routes.

Red Cross is providing psychological support to communities affected by this week's earthquake, as people prepare to spend another night in welfare centres.

LIVE BLOG: US warship on its way to Kaikoura as aftershocks continue to shake the North Canterbury region.

Plans for a ferry between Whanganui and Port Motueka have been revisited. And pending a feasibility study by the council, could have the Mayor's support. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Houses in small community are so badly quake-damaged that locals are considering using diggers to bring them down today.

Learn from Christchurch and subsidise businesses hit by the devastating Kaikoura earthquake, former mayor Sir Bob Parker has told the Government.