People stand in front of a damaged house in New Brighton. The upper storey at the front of the house has collapsed onto the floor below. The photographer comments, "This house at 158 Marine Parade, New Brighton, Christchurch was owned by the man leaning on the fence. He lived next door and his daughter lived here. During the earthquake the 2nd storey stayed mainly whole, but the 1st collapsed. Luckily the daughter was in the top storey. She was rescued from the building by neighbours, by climbing out of the window and down a ladder. Another piece of luck is that most of the belongings were stored in boxes in the garage at the front. Though the garage also collapsed the boxes appear intact. The owner had tried to sell it previously without success".
Two images of a house, taken before and after the earthquakes. In the after photograph the chimneys are gone, a column supporting the car port has partly collapsed, windows are broken, and the previously neat lawn and driveway are overgrown. The photographer comments, "This was a house that I was selling up to the September 2010 earthquake in Christchurch. It was on Avonside Drive, which was an area that has been badly hit in every earthquake that has hit the area. In the September quake parts of the house moved in different directions and one of the upstairs doors had to be smashed open to release one of the sons from his bedroom. This occurred in the dark with numerous aftershocks shaking the house. Liquefaction poured up through the floor and flowed down the drive. Everyone got out OK, but soon after the house was red stickered meaning it was dangerous to enter. The house was looted many times even though there was constant police patrols. When the most violent earthquake occurred on 22 February 2012 both the tall heavy chimneys came crashing through into the living areas. Subsequent earthquakes and aftershocks have caused one of the brick fence pillars to fall and the front garage pillar to break up and twist. The family's troubles did not end there. They moved into the home of one of their parents and this mansion of a home was so badly affected by the February earthquake that no one could enter to collect any of their or their parents' belongings. They now own a new home, which they are fond of except when the ground shakes yet again. There has been to date 10,712 earthquakes and aftershocks since 4 September 2010".
