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Source: ONE News -
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It was the big one scientists have been talking about for years but the massive earthquake which hit the South Island was more shake than shatter.
There was no loss of life, there've been no injuries and no major damage .
At 7.8 on the Richter scale it's New Zealand's biggest tremor in 78 years .
In Queenstown, it was clean up time on Thursday.
"The drinks, the fizzies, they were all coming down like missiles. As soon as they hit the ground just exploded and took off everywhere," says a supermarket proprietor.
There was no serious damage, just confusion as staff and customers tried to work out what was going on.
"Everything just started going ballistic, just really mad. (I) wasn't sure whether to be scared or excited. (I) haven't been in one before, nothing like it, just wicked," says the supermarket proprietor.
One Central Otago family caught it all on camera, the children amazed as they watched the light swing from the ceiling.
At 7.8 this was New Zealand's biggest earthquake for nearly 80 years rolling.
In Tuatapere, there are cracks in the masonry and groceries all over the floor of a supermarket after a night to remember.
"It was moving sideways. The whole house it just moves and you just wait for the whole house to start breaking and the house to split. It was awful, it really was," says Michelle Watson, a Tuatapere resident.
The earthquake epicentre was Fiordland. And 100 kilometres south east is Tuatapere, which was way too close for many of the locals when the quake struck.
"(It) just sort of started going off, going one way, and in the end it stopped and went the other way altogether, which is a bizarre sort of feeling, sitting there in a house when its doing that," says Daman Groshinski, a Tapanui resident.
At the pub they had hardly had time to draw breath before the Japanese television stations were on the line.
"They didn't believe there were no injuries, no people . They thought the windows would've been blown out of the hotel and they couldn't believe that we were just staying here," says Pat Coats, Waiau Hotel duty manager.
Even the Prime Minister, John Key, acknowledges a lucky escape.
"A massive earthquake and I think New Zealand can thank its lucky stars when there doesn't seem to be massive damage," says Key.
Damage inspection teams agree, as even the south coast's historic Percy Burn Viaduct survived okay.
"There's no apparent damage. We won't know more until the engineers inspect the data we've collected," says Bryan Dynes, a Department of Conservation ranger.
There are plenty of stories to tell, including one Te Anau man's experience of being caught in the bath when the quake hit. Bill Verrall says the water spilled over the bath.
With aftershocks continuing all day, everyone has been on edge.
There have been hundreds of aftershocks and authorities will not be counting them until next week.
The Earthquake Commission has received 225 claims for damage, most of them for minor damage.
The commission's insurance manager, Lance Dixon, expects more will be lodged over the coming weeks.
Holders of current home and/or contents insurance automatically have Earthquake Commission cover for damage caused by earthquakes.
Did you feel the earthquake? Share your story on the messageboard below.
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentemmskin said on 2009-07-18 @ 14:27 NZDT: Report abusive post
i live in franz Josef. I was sitting watching a movie eating my dinner when the house started swaying, it was insane, the entire house was moving slowly side to side. Im terrofied of earthquakes, but googled what actually happens and why they occur and why we a due for a big one, i now understand and im not scared at all! i do beleive now its just waiting game as that earthquake just put more stress on the rocks and it going to ping back any day now
kirstinj said on 2009-07-16 @ 18:29 NZDT: Report abusive post
I was wondering if anyone else felt a couple of quakes at about 2am on the 15th July, the night before the big one??? The first one woke me up, and not long after I felt another. I am in east otago.
brendono said on 2009-07-16 @ 17:44 NZDT: Report abusive post
Christchurch. I didn't feel it at all, but I did watch our baby's hammoch swaying around at the time of the quake considerably more than a 16 day old baby could sway it. It was bizare seeing it until I found out the probable explanantion later.
georgieee said on 2009-07-16 @ 13:56 NZDT: Report abusive post
Its such an un-natural feeling, the house shook so violently. Live in wanaka so we were quite close to it haha our dog slept through most of it, but i still dont like them one bit
Jesska said on 2009-07-16 @ 11:27 NZDT: Report abusive post
Wow, that really freaked me out about the tsunami warning, i felt the earthquake but didnt think anything of it, thought i was tired and just kinda swaying myself but then my mum came in and said "look at the blinds-theyre moving...did you feel the earthquake?" then i freaked out.!