Three weeks later and they're still having aftershocks.
The Quake map site has made a few changes so you can have 'sticky dots' that stay over the epicentre of each quake and you can select any day since it started to see the action.
The current count is 1,064!!!!!
The site, for anyone who missed it, is here:
Christchurch Quake Map.
I check it each morning and they're still having size 4.5 and over.
My brother hasn't been in touch with me but I've heard that they're doing OK. Several homes in his area were destroyed and there have been Port-a-loos placed around the streets because the pipes are still damaged and toilets not working, but the place is being cleaned up.
Some parts of the quake area had new houses built on land that is now known to be unstable - 'The foolish man built his house upon the sand......' so there is debate about whether they should try to rebuild or just plough the lot.
But that's only one small part - most of the city is back in action. Modern buildings were built to withstand this sort of thing and once the remaining old buildings are either pulled down or strengthened, in a few years you won't know the difference.
But the kids who have lived through it won't forget for a long time!
Robyn