All you intrepid travellers out there – you have probably heard that on Saturday 4 September a 7.1 earthquake hit Christchurch. We hope that the ones amongst you who are in Christchurch at the moment have recovered from the shock. And for the ones amongst you who planned to come here in the next few days, here is a quick update.
Christchurch is working hard to get back to normal. Christchurch Airport has reopened and is fully operational. However, there might still be delays and Christchurch Airport recommends you call your travel agent to check the latest schedules before going to the airport.
Train services from Christchurch to Greymouth via Arthurs Pass and back, and return services from Christchurch to Picton via Kaikoura and Blenheim have been cancelled due to track damage, but trains have been replaced by buses. At the moment it is hoped that the Christchurch to Greymouth route will run again from Tuesday 7 September, and the Christchurch to Picton service is hoped to be back to normal from 8 or 9 September. Bus and coach services on the South Island are operating normally, but are suspended within Christchurch.
Christchurch City, Selwyn District and Waimakariri District remain in a state of local emergency to help emergency services clear and inspect buildings. Christchurch’s CBD and several damaged streets are closed off and might remain closed for several days until engineers have given the all-clear. At the moment aftershocks still present a threat to damaged buildings and could reach a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale. Several hotels in Christchurch have been damaged. If you are concerned about your Christchurch accommodation, you should get in touch with your travel agent or your accommodation provider.
Finally, supermarkets are being restocked now and most of the city has power again, but it’ll take some days to fix water and sewage pipes. When in Christchurch, do make sure you boil all water for at least three minutes! Apart from that, hang in there – the Garden City of Christchurch is doing its best to get back on its feet again.