'My friend saved me'

A Christchurch woman said a friend saved her life when he pulled her from her bed as the wall of her house collapsed this morning.

St Albans woman Marsha Witehira narrowly escaped injury as the wall of bedroom came tumbling after the devastating quake.

Witehira's friend was asleep in the lounge at the time. He felt the vibrations, rushed to her room and pulled her clear by her legs before her bedroom wall collapsed, she said.

The bricks fell on her bed, destroying her room.

Ms Witehira, who was being comforted by friends earlier, was distraught by the incident but thankful to be alive.

"He saved my life, no doubt about it...if I had been there, I would have smashed my head,'' she said.

Christchurch resident Colleen Simpson said after the earthquake everyone was out in the street in their pyjamas looking scared and worried.

There was no power and the mobile network was failing.

"Oh my God. There is a row of shops completely demolished right in front of me," she said.

Simpson and her young family were heading to her sister's house, where there was still power, so everyone could be together.

Press editor and Sumner resident Andrew Holden said chimney builders would be busy in Sumner, with brick chimnies either collapsed or badly shaken.

Cave Rock Bed and Breakfast appeared to have been hardest hit with a portion of the main roof collapsed into an upstairs bedroom.

There was no apparent damage to the main cliff face at either Whitewash Head or Redcliffs.

Kevin O'Hanlon, from Mairehau in Christchurch, said it was unbelievable.

"Just unbelievable. I was awake to go to work and then just heard this massive noise and, boom, it was like the house got hit. It just started shaking. I've never felt anything like it."

In Mid Canterbury, near Mt Hutt, a major 1912 homestead has been utterly destroyed.

William Cottrell, of Glenroy, said his house, Gunyah, had been utterly destroyed.

"You can drive a car through the hole in our roof.''

"Two chimneys fell and demolished the antique two-poster bed we were in. We were so lucky.''

He said his leg had been crushed under some bricks. "But I can't believe I'm alive.''

The mountain of bricks then crashed through the bedroom floor into the dining room below.

He said the lodge had six guests, who had all left, as there was no power.

Hororata resident Bryan Hall said his home had also lost a chimney and furniture had broken. "There are boooks just everywhere and all the pictures are at peculiar angles.

However, he had managed to light a log fire to boil a kettle for some coffee,

Christchurch Press chief reporter Kamala Hayman said power was out in many southern suburbs.

"The first shake tipped books and glasses off our shelves and we are still getting sizeable aftershocks."

Ryan Shaw, in Christchurch, said "TV fallen off cabinet, books, pot plants everywhere and I'm very shaken."

Darfield resident Meg Morten said the earthquake was preceded by a ''huge noise'' that jolted her from her sleep.

''I just heard this huge bang and realised it was an earthquake, so I was out of bed and into a doorway pretty much on autopilot,'' she said.

''It was the biggest earthquake I had ever felt, and we thought maybe this was going to be the really big earthquake. It was pretty frightening.''

There were reports of chimney collapses in Darfield, but no major damage.

Morten was surprised her own home remained intact.

''We could hear glass, but nothing fell off the walls. It's absolutely amazing, given the size of the quake.

''Now it's daylight, people will be getting out and having a look.''

The earthquake appeared to not to have disturbed farm stock, she said.

''Looking out the window, there's lambs and ewes in the paddock and they're just pottering along.

''The cats certainly haven't come back though.''

Morten said aftershocks were still ''rumbling''.

Sir Miles Warren's 150-year-old homestead Ohinetahi at Governor's Bay has been badly damaged. Sir Miles said there was "a tremendous noise'' as stonework smashed down onto the roof but no one was injured.

A 50-metre slip has partially blocked the road between Teddington and Diamond Harbour.

Shelley Richard, a resident of Culver Place and Holderstone Drive, in Dallington, said her entire house had shifted off its foundations. A 5cm gap was now visible between the house and the concrete foundations.

Richard said she could not open any doors inside the house or her garden gate and said it was too dangerous to return home.

She had tried repeatedly to call her insurance firm but had not been able to get through.

Richard said she had picked up her mum from Kate Sheppard rest because it had been closed following the quake.

Residents near Brighton and Dallington were using buckets to get river water for flushing toilets. Others were standing outside a closed supermarket where they had hoped to buy water.

- © Fairfax NZ News