A story submitted by Michelle Paterson to the QuakeStories website.
A pdf transcript of Belle's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Victoria Street. A giant vibrating pair of nibblers makes easy work of demolishing a reinforced concrete building. This section of wall was reduced to rubble in about two minutes".
A photograph of the damaged Englefield Lodge. The garden is overgrown with weeds. A pile of bricks and a road cone are placed against the wall of the house.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The west side of Manchester Street viewed from the Lichfield Street intersection. The collapsed structure in the centre is the Reuben Blades building where 4 people died".
Plastic barriers and fencing around a demolition site on the corner of Cranford and Westminster Streets. Different types of building rubble have been sorted into piles, and a concrete block still remains on-site.
Tents set up in the Arts car park at the University of Canterbury after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The tents were used as temporary lecture rooms while the buildings were being checked for damage.
Damage to Dallington Discount Market on the corner of Gloucester Street and Woodham Road, the facade of which has collapsed during the 4 September 2010 earthquake. The building has been cordoned off with a safety fence.
A stack of letter tiles resting on a bench inside the Durham Street Methodist Church. The bench has been covered with dust and chips of plaster that have come off the building's walls.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Knox Church, Bealey Avenue". There is a foam heart pegged to the fence reading, "We're all in this together. Christchurch, we love you!".
A view down Manchester Street looking north from Tuam Street. To the left is Peaches and Cream with bracing above the windows and in the distance collapsed buildings can be seen.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The central dome of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes Street. Cracks in the brickwork can be seen".
Tents set up in the Arts car park at the University of Canterbury after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The tents were used as temporary lecture rooms while the buildings were being checked for damage.
A felt heart on a fence in Lyttelton with the Time Ball and the word "Forever" stitched onto it. Next to the heart is a sign reading, "Danger. Unsafe building and grounds. No admittance".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch where the cleanup has begun. Historic buildings around Christchurch received varying degrees of damage. The Provincial Chambers on Durham Street is scaffolded".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Hotel Grand Chancellor car park demolition".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Manchester Street with the Heritage Hotel on Worcester Street at the rear left".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "CBD. Looking north between Manchester and Madras Streets, showing Latimer Square".
A photograph of a sign, reading, "Extreme care, protected trees." The photograph is captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Provincial Council Chambers".
Damage to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The south-west corner of the building has collapsed, exposing the rooms inside, and the north-west corner is supported by shipping containers.
A front-on view from Norwich Quay of Fuze Restaurant and Cafe. The second storey of the building is being dismantled. Until 1962 it housed the Harbour Board offices, and it was built in 1880.
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Earthquake damage to the former post office on the corner of Colombo and Brougham Street in Sydenham".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Earthquake damage to the former post office on the corner of Colombo and Brougham Street in Sydenham".
A front-on view from Norwich Quay of Fuze Restaurant and Cafe. The second storey of the building is being dismantled. Until 1962 it housed the Harbour Board offices, and it was built in 1880.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "43 Lichfield Street. Panels fell off the car park of this building and fell to the street below killing a woman sitting in a parked car".
A video about the demolition of the Manchester Courts on the corner of Manchester and Hereford Streets. The video includes an interview with Richard Peebles, the co-owner of the building.
An aerial photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Worcester Street from Cathedral Square to Manchester Street, with Gloucester Street at the bottom".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Earthquake damage to the former post office on the corner of Colombo and Brougham Street in Sydenham".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Earthquake damage to the former post office on the corner of Colombo and Brougham Street in Sydenham".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Earthquake damage to the former post office on the corner of Colombo and Brougham Street in Sydenham".