“It’s the perfect coffee,” Tracy Pirie says, waving at her favourite photo on the wall of Kaiapoi’s Fresh Aromas café. Makes sense; coffee is her passion and running a community hub was always on her agenda, even before the Canterbury quakes. “We’d always talked about it. You know…wouldn’t it be… Read More »Tracy Pirie: 'You have to be bold'

The ocean hadn’t changed. That was the simple truth Denise Ashton relied on in the aftermath of the February 2011 earthquake. Her house was damaged, the streets and lawns were covered in liquefaction, and she had no power, but every morning she found a way to make it all go… Read More »Denise Ashton: 'I honestly don’t know how we survived'

Darren Wright admits he’s “reasonably well known” in Sumner. Some would say he’s being modest. He’s chair of the Sumner Residents’ Association, chair of the CERA community forum, deputy chair of the Sumner School board of trustees and the community representative on the governance group of the residential advisory service.… Read More »Darren Wright: 'I knew the house was gone'

In a modest room at Burwood Hospital, a group of elderly men and women sit quietly focused on a game of scrabble. The small group gathers from across Christchurch one day a week to catch up and socialise. Today, Emma Friedauer joins the group, bringing a warm smile and distinct… Read More »Emma Friedauer: 'Loved to have stayed where I was'

“It was funny,” says Paddy. “The glasses started tinkling in the cabinet, and then BANG! I remember looking at my wife across the table; she had her back to the windows. They were flexing and I thought, ‘if that breaks it would decapitate her’.’’ Paddy, 69, and his wife, Joy,… Read More »Paddy Brandon: 'Little things became really important'

Coffees at the mobile cart are eeny, meeny, miny and moe. Anne Nicholson orders a moe, then navigates the warren of rooms at Community House, clutching nearly a litre of coffee. “This is our fifth space,” she says, over her shoulder. Qtopia started life in Community House ten years ago… Read More »Qtopia: 'Everybody was incredible'

It was more frightening when it stopped. The walls thumped and my wife and I sat in silence waiting for it to end. We looked at the ceiling and hoped it wouldn’t come crashing down on us. We wondered what might be coming next. The rest of the day we… Read More »John Sykes: 'Our old house had a beautiful front garden'

Darryn Ward lost his factory and manufacturing business to the Canterbury earthquakes. His income was cut by 80 per cent and he could no longer contribute financially to his family as he once had. Like many, he is mired in bureaucracy over his broken house: insurance payouts, EQC, waiting times,… Read More »Darryn Ward: 'Step back, take stock of your life'

When the shaking started early that Saturday morning in September, Peter Hansen wondered if it would have been easier just to stay in bed. He and his wife, Tressa, clutched onto each other in the doorway of their Sumner home, and struggled to stay on their feet. When the ground… Read More »Peter Hansen: 'It shocked our community together'