Earthquake in Christchurch today

Hi everyone,
We've had a few emails asking if we are okay and I can finally say that all family members are accounted for and while our property isn't 100%, we are fine.
The earthquake (7.4) stuck this morning at about 4.30am and let me just say it was HORRIBLE! It was shaking like I was standing on the deck of a boat in a major storm (and yes, I've done that before). I couldn't get out of my bedroom to the girls (Dom and Sebastien were off camping in the mountains, and we didn't hear from them for HOURS but they came home when they realized Christchurch was declared a State of Emergency and we had no water, electricity or internet). I had to stand in the bedroom doorway and call out to them. Lucy was silent and sitting up in bed, and Megane was out of bed and yelling "Mum! what is it? I don't like it! I want it to stop!! When will it stop? What is happening?". I got them under the table as quickly as I could and then went back into the bedrooms (thinking of the collection of vintage clothes up in the attic that was surely about to fall on my head) to get us all shoes and coats, and find the cellphone (it went flying off the bedside cabinet). After I knew the girls were okay and properly dressed, I went to check on the neighbours. Everyone was okay, but a few have been evacuated today because of structural damage to their houses. Chimneys were down, the water pipes under the road were broken and our road and driveway is a mess. We have a crack about 7cm wide and maybe 30cm deep? In addition to the fact that one side of the driveway is about 10cm higher than the other side. Amazingly we only had a few broken plates (sigh, antique ones of course)... I guess there is an upside to being a clean freak that has no ornaments :) You couldn't say as much for the neighbours - it really looked like an earthquake had hit!
Once the sun was up we went to Dad's house. I've got photos.... the two side brick (firewalls) of his house (old, very old, maybe 120 years old?) had detached from the rest of the house and were half down. His driveway was full of bricks and every time we had an after shock the rest of the bricks were swaying madly. Of course Dad insisted on getting up on the roof to tarp the holes because a huge storm is blowing into town with gale force winds. Why he is trying to save a condemned building is beyond me, but I guess it is the Emergency Response Officer part of his brain that had kicked in. Dear old Dad is now on duty (Gaye has gone out to one of their baches) and I am not sure when he will be home again... He wants to sleep in the hallway to stop looters when he is eventually off-duty. NO COMMENT!
In any case, we have the electricity back on but no water. I actually don't want that on because our pipes are broken and it will be a mess when it comes on.
The city is under curfew - from 7pm-7am. No problem there - we aren't going anywhere! We've got the torches and 72 hour kits under the table in case we have to head back under there tonight. Somehow the sun going down made the fear worse. It isn't fun to have aftershocks in daylight but last night in the pitch black it was AWFUL. The one good thing was that the stars were beautiful. I haven't seen that many stars, or have them shine so brightly since I was tiny. I made the girls go outside and have a look because the lights will never be out all over town ever again (after shock...).
I'll try to upload some pictures and then I've got to sleep. I'll update tomorrow. I am so thankful that in an earthquake as strong as the one that devestated Haiti our family was okay and our house is okay.
Love to all
xxx
Suzy