Hmm. I lived in Christchurch, and I have mixed feelings. I have friends and family there, but naturally I am glad I am not there right now. Except that I'm not (glad, that is). I'd like to be there helping out.

I wouldn't be queuing outside the gas station, ATM or supermarket because when I lived there I had at least three days' worth of prepared food and a couple of weeks' worth of staples that could be easily cooked, and camp stoves/cooking equipment. I had water stored, and a cache of stuff outside the house in case it collapsed and I couldn't get to the main store. I had some cash on hand, and I always kept the petrol tank in the car half full or more.

In addition I did SAR and Civil Defence training, and I have access to amateur radio equipment. I told friends and neighbours to be prepared (and referred them to the handy Civil Defence checklist on the back of *everyone's* copy of Yellow Pages). It saddens me a little that I cannot be there to help, since I have the training and the gear, but it saddens me more that there are still people who are ill-prepared despite the fact that the information is freely available, and, as we have discussed, preparations can be made cheaply and slowly in a piecemeal but effective way.

Having said all that I cannot predict how I would react to the situation. I might freeze, or break down, or make poor decisions, or find that I didn't actually have the stuff I need. I might also be injured or killed. But, I would have had no worries in advance of (or during) the event happening because I am confident I would be able to help myself and others around me.

My family and friends are safe, but I am sorry for those who didn't make it. In my new environment I have to worry about flooding, heavy snow, extreme heat, and invasion from the North. Preparations are different, but I have done *something*.

Sorry. The news from NZ has been quite sobering. I don't want to blame the people who were not prepared, but it does frustrate me.

A