Condolences, Rusty

[dando]

First the quake and now this.


Following a reasonably benign winter, the Southland region of New Zealand (NZ) has in the past week been hit by “the worst spring storm in living memory” according to the NZ Herald.

Six days of blizzards have caused deaths among new lambs numbering in the hundreds of thousands, and raised concern over the welfare of ewes yet to lamb.

Besides the effect of the cold weather itself, the continued snowfall has not allowed snow on the ground to thaw, making it much harder for stock to feed.

http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/051010/nz___snow_hits_farmers_big_time_.aspx

:(

There goes the price of my fave lamb chops. :saywhat:

-Kevin

[Kiwifan]

Just got home a couple of days ago to find a lot of South Islanders just wondering WTF happened as the storm followed the quake.

I know there is only a barbed wire fence between Southland and the South Pole but this is a really late snow.

Have a quick look at how many aftershocks CHCH has had over the last few days! Had a 5 and 4.2 within minutes yesterday.

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html or http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

No wonder the infrastructure is still in tatters. :(

It's all good here in Tekapo but thanks for the heads up as we have family in Southland and CHCH.

Cheers mate.

Rusty.

[BarillaGirl]

There goes the price of wool...... :(

[Cam]

There goes the price of wool...... :(

Errrr.... Most wool comes from here. Not K1W1 land.

[Methanolandbrats]

I hope it didn't kill too many ewes...........that would really cut down on the dating pool for you guys. :D

[dando]

Errrr.... Most wool comes from here. Not K1W1 land.

Yes, Cam...we've seen this debate before.

http://www.ltlf.co.uk/derby/sheep_on_bike.gif

:gomer:

-Kevin

[cameraman]

I get my lamb from about sixty miles away so I'l hopefully not see much of a change beyond the expensive it already is...

I've never understood why we always see NZ lamb in the stores but never AUS.

[Kiwifan]

:D :rofl: :D (to dando, cameraman types faster than me. )

[opinionated ow]

I get my lamb from about sixty miles away so I'l hopefully not see much of a change beyond the expensive it already is...

I've never understood why we always see NZ lamb in the stores but never AUS.

My guess is because we eat it all...or there are more lucrative markets than the USA-china and the middle east come to mind

[emjaya]

I get my lamb from about sixty miles away so I'l hopefully not see much of a change beyond the expensive it already is...

I've never understood why we always see NZ lamb in the stores but never AUS.

It probably is Aust lamb, but just not labeled as such. Why, I don't know.

The USA is Australia's largest export market of lamb and with US sheep flock numbers dropping, it is not going to change any time soon. That is unless China, Australia's second largest market for lamb, is able to increase it's flock numbers and start to export.

Australia has about 80 million sheep, NZ about half that number and China about double Australia. The US has about 5 million sheep.
That's the end of the stock report for this week.

Landline (http://www.abc.net.au/landline/). I watch it while I'm waiting for Speedweek to start.

[cameraman]

That is a very well done site.:thumbup:

[oddlycalm]

Now you've got me thinking about grilled lamb sickles....:)

oc

http://media.americastestkitchen.com/images/document/CVR_IDX_RackOfLamb0013_article.jpg

[racer2c]

Now you've got me thinking about grilled lamb sickles....:)

oc

http://media.americastestkitchen.com/images/document/CVR_IDX_RackOfLamb0013_article.jpg

Made those tonight for my parents 48 anniversary. French style, lathered in Dijon, fresh thyme and fine bread crumbs, browned in my favorite iron skillet and finished in a 350 oven until about 130 internal. Did a simple scalloped potatoes with asparagus and a Californian Cab Sav. To die for if I may say so myself. Loves the lamb.:thumbup:

[opinionated ow]

Be warned, this contains language that is very Australian.

VHH0Ebke-lU

[Kiwifan]

Not so lucky this time. :( A 6.3 quake hit at lunchtime in the CBD so there are multiple fatalities and many injured.

Buildings that withstood the 7.1 quake have been flattened this time as the quake was very shallow and close to the city centre.

Not looking good. :cry:

http://news.msn.co.nz/article/8214610/huge-6-3-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-canterbury

[Cam]

:eek::saywhat::eek:

[Kiwifan]

Thanks Cam, appreciate that mate. With so many people working in the CBD it's a worst case scenario. So many people walking around with head wounds etc.

Fires just starting with helicopters dropping water on several buildings.

Hard to think it's only 225km away. :shakehead

[dando]

Thoughts & prayers, Rusty. :(

-Kevin

[Indy]

Sorry to hear that, Rusty. :(

[TravelGal]

I'm stunned. I so know this feeling.

One article commented that the structures were weakened by the Sept quake and that, I'm sure, is a large part of the devastation. The aftershocks after the Northridge earthquake did as much damage to our house as the original quake because the structure had been so weakened.

Fifth picture in this article (quake pictures 1-48 on left) there is a geo graph. Looks as if there were two big jolts. A real recipe for disaster.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4688231/65-dead-in-devastating-Christchurch-quake

My heart goes out to you all. :(

[Kiwifan]

Thank you so much everyone. Although all of our family and friends network seem to be ok there are are 65 confirmed dead and so many more trapped in buildings that looked as though they have been bombed. And it's now raining.... :(

[Gnam]

horrible news. :(

Glad to hear your family and friends are safe. :)

[Cam]

Thank you so much everyone. Although all of our family and friends network seem to be ok there are are 65 confirmed dead and so many more trapped in buildings that looked as though they have been bombed. And it's now raining.... :(

Have a horrible feeling it is only going to get worse. I hope I am wrong. :cry:

[racermike]

The videos and photos are unreal.

This quake was so shallow, that it was even worse than the one before, even though technically was not as strong.

The kind of ground shaking you get with a shallow quake is so violent.

RhzpVxJ2rUk

[dando]

Jeebus. Just sickening to watch like the tsunami videos. :(

-Kevin

[Elmo T]

LAFD Urban Search and Rescue (along with additional resources) being deployed.

USAID Responds to New Zealand Earthquake (http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2011/pr110221.html)

[TravelGal]

Jeebus. Just sickening to watch like the tsunami videos. :(

-Kevin

You're not just saying that. I couldn't sleep all last night. Really brought back the memories.


LAFD Urban Search and Rescue (along with additional resources) being deployed.

USAID Responds to New Zealand Earthquake (http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2011/pr110221.html)

The unfortunate part is that it will take them 14 hours to get there. Or maybe they go zoom, zoom faster than a tourist does?

[nrc]

Thoughts and prayers for all of you down in NZ. :(

All the paper blown out of that building is eerily reminiscent of 9/11.

[Kiwifan]

Thanks for all of your thoughts. The good news is that they are still pulling people out alive and they can hear people in several buildings but they are really having trouble getting to them.

There is a multi story hotel sinking into the ground and there are fears it will collapse. http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-Hotel-Grand-Chancellor-may-collapse/tabid/309/articleID/199506/Default.aspx


A family of Canadians were having lunch in the cathedral cafe when the quake struck. They felt it was very similar to 9/11

[manic mechanic]

You're not just saying that. I couldn't sleep all last night. Really brought back the memories.



The unfortunate part is that it will take them 14 hours to get there. Or maybe they go zoom, zoom faster than a tourist does?

Remember, they will be on an "in-flight-refueled" C-17 clear routed out of March ARB... That might save them an hour or two.

My heart goes out to the casualties and their families. I'm a SoCal native and have been through some big quakes, but (thank the lord) I've never sat right on top of one.

manic

[Kiwifan]

Some photos.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/live-updates-christchurch-quake-day-two-4038727/photos

[TravelGal]

Some photos.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/live-updates-christchurch-quake-day-two-4038727/photos

The article that went with this is very telling also. At first we're stunned and then the full extent of the problem becomes obvious. The hotels that remain open, like my favorite, the George, will be needed for relief workers for the foreseeable future so even if a tourist wanted to use Christchurch as a base for South Island touring, they won't be able to. A friend has friends who were planning to be there in two weeks. I've advised that they wait a week and try to find out if trains are running so that they can land and take a train to Kaikoura or go down to Dunedin (don't know their itinerary).

[Kiwifan]

The biggest problem is the lack of water and power. 80% of Christchurch without the former and 40% without the latter.

Many tourists have been evacuated leaving most of their possessions including passports as it's just too dangerous to go back in to the CBD where many hotels are based.

The airport is back up and running and we have seen a steady stream of visitors who have just picked up their rental cars/vans and have headed off inland or as you say, Dunedin or Kaikoura. The TranzAlpine/Coastal trains are cancelled until at least March 1st.

Rescue workers have come in to help from all over the world and we thank you.

Although the death toll stands at 75 there are up to 300 folk unaccounted for and they are believed to be still in their cars in car-parks or under shop verandas.

Gal if you need any info please feel free to ask through pm.

[TravelGal]

Thanks Rusty. I am only helping a friend of a friend. Fortunately, I don't have any clients there at the moment and I think you've already told me what I need to know for clients headed there in April.

No water is bad. We always had water though we had to boil it, of course. We had people coming over to take showers.

No electricity is a bother but not as important. We have gas heat and cooking. (I insist on it for just that reason.) The only thing is, you can't imagine how many times you go to turn on the light as it gets toward dusk. I mean, hit me in the head, there's no power!!! We were in what they euphemistically called "the most affected area" so we had to drive about 10 miles to the east to find out about the latest earthquake news on TV. :saywhat:

I still wonder if we should have a portable generator though--for the big stuff.

[cameraman]

Having gas for cooking is great most of the time until that earthquake takes out the gas lines - then you're looking at a long fix.

There was a tremendous amount of liquefaction, the damage to the sewers/water mains is going to be tremendous.

[TravelGal]

Having gas for cooking is great most of the time until that earthquake takes out the gas lines - then you're looking at a long fix.

There was a tremendous amount of liquefaction, the damage to the sewers/water mains is going to be tremendous.

I was sure someone would mention that teeny weeny problem about gas lines. :D Gas company here was pretty quick to come around and fix things. Helps to be in a "mature" residential area. The quake snapped the lines leading to the heater in the neighbor's house across the street. She was literally looking for matches (she couldn't find her flashlight) when we yelled through the door to get out of the house. We were lucky she didn't blow up the whole block. Problem solved by turning off the gas at the valve. It was fixed within a few days. We, on the other hand, dutifully turned off our gas outside only to realize about a week later that we still had HOT water. Our valve was so old that it turned but didn't turn off the gas. Small potatoes compared to what they are going through in CHC.