What do you do after two earthquakes hit your city?
[Editor's note: Matador is participating in this week's #blog4NZ event, which is intended to raise travelers' awareness about New Zealand.]
AFTER TWO TIMES in six months, your town shakes. You see buildings fall and rubble in the streets. What do you do next? You do what the people of Christchurch, NZ did. They pulled together as a community to rebuild.
Photos by Elise Rutherford unless otherwise noted. 
Remains of Provincial Chambers in Christchurch, NZ
Remains of Provincial Chambers.
Remains of the Christchurch cathedral
Christchurch Cathedral, Cathedral Square. Photo by Geof Wilson.
Roads became impassable after the Christchurch earthquake
Roads become impassable.
Fallen Robert Falcon Scott statue
Robert Falcon Scott, the Antarctic explorer can no longer look at the Christchurch he knew.
Finding normalcy
People try to make life as normal as possible.
Volunteers helping to clean up after the Christchurch Earthquake, NZ
Volunteers arrived from everywhere to assist in the clean up.
Worker removing liquefaction after the earthquake
300,000 tonnes of liquefaction needed to be removed from properties. Photo by Ben Spink
More kids lend a helping hand
Everyone wanted to help Christchurch!
Children helping clean up the earthquake damage
Cleaning up after the earthquake. Photo by Jon Sullivan.
BBQ set up for volunteers helping clean up the earthquake damage
Everybody helped everybody, and€“ here was a BBQ set up for passerbys on a main street.
Civil Defence workers from all over the world to help
Here a gang of Civil Defence workers leaves to search another building.
The NZ Royal Navy helping clean up
Royal New Zealand Navy helps out in Lyttelton. Photo by NZ Defence Force.
NZ Army chief delivering meals for service workers
NZ Army Chefs prepare and deliver hot-box meals to emergency service workers helping with the Christchurch Earthquake operation. Photo by NZ Defence Force.
The army provides reassurance
The Army were on every street corner providing reassurance and advice.
Silt removal help needed
Silt Removal Help Request. Photo by nzraw.co.nz.
Children playing around after the Christchurch Earthquake, NZ
Christchurch Earthquake - St Albans. Photo by Ann Devereux.
Damage at the Christchurch University libraries
Christchurch Earthquake - University. Photo by Ann Devereux.
Student volunteers helping clean up
Student volunteers (r) in Barrington Street help cleaning up the silt that has come to the surface in streets, parks and gardens all over Christchurch due to liquefaction after a massive earthquake hit the New Zealand city on 22 February, 2011. Photo taken on 26 February, 2011. Photo by NZRico.
Safe and sound
When families and children are safe, there are no concerns.
Kia Kaha – Be Strong!
Kia Kaha – Be Strong! Two Maori words that are being used to energise the people of Christchurch.
Daniel Nahabedian
Daniel left behind his cubicle in 2009 to start a RTW journey & follow his true passion: photography. He is currently settling down in Thailand to work on his Travel Photo Blog Canvas of Light & become a full time freelance Travel Photographer.
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http://saffakidlife.blogspot.com jenna
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http://marysojourner.com Mary
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nemogada
