'Scary as hell' say Bay pupils | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Six students from two Hawke's Bay schools were knocked to the ground during Saturday's violent pre-dawn quake in Christchurch.

The party of nine people, including parents and teachers from Tamatea High School and Puketapu School, were staying in Merivale just outside the city centre when the devastating 7.1 shake hit at 4.36am.

Parent Marek Plesner said the jolt fractured a hot water tank which then flooded their accommodation's hallway.

"We knew immediately it was a big one and it kept going on and on for ages," he said. "We were all in bed but I heard things smashing in the kitchen so went to check on the younger children in the upstairs bedroom. The light fitting on a long chain was swinging violently from side to side."

The two schools were in Christchurch for a national school robotics competition due to start at 9am that day.

It was later cancelled.

Teacher Dave Thompson was also woken by the jolt. "My first concern was the group of girls in the unit next door. By the time I'd thrown a few clothes on, all the girls were outside in the darkness.

"It was very cold and about a third of the water had spewed out of the swimming pool. It was as big as the reminders we get in the Bay from time to time."

The group assembled in one of the main buildings.

"It was scary as hell, I fell over trying to get out as we all tried to get through the door together," said Year 13 student Georgie Smithers. "We listened to the radio on the internet."

Mr Thompson said the students "did the right thing and kept calm throughout".

"I was really impressed with their responses. I don't know whether it was because they're used to smaller quakes, or whether they were subdued."

The group then walked through Cathedral Square about noon, which was "largely unaffected". "Most of the damage seemed to be with the older brick buildings on the outskirts of the city. It's still an absolute wonder, seeing the damage, that no one was injured."

Hastings engineering student Bernard Klos was asleep in the suburb of Ilam at the time.

"We had just got back from a friend's 21st in the middle of town. I was so amazed at how the city centre changed in just a few moments."

Another student, Aaron Bashnick, of Havelock North, was staying in an old wooden house in the suburb of Sydenham. "I tried to get out of bed, to shelter under the doorway, but I had trouble staying upright as it started shaking really powerfully," Mr Bashnick said.

"All the radios in the house needed electricity so we went outside to the radio in the car.

"There was no tsunami warning so we went back to bed."

He wasn't aware of the damage until phoned by friends and relatives later that morning.

Helen Francis, Hawke's Bay District Health Board governance board member, was in Christchurch at a national GP conference when the quake struck.

"I woke up on the floor, I'd been chucked out of bed," she said. "There was no power, it was pitch black and you're trying to work out where you are."

Guests at the inner city hotel fled outside in pyjamas and barefeet, where they waited for about 90 minutes before being let back into the lobby.

They were later given three minutes to pack their belongings and evacuate. Ms Francis, a nurse at Hastings Health Centre, said conference-goers offered help but weren't needed.