Power, water and road access is slowly being restored to earthquake-hit areas of the South Island as crews work around the clock.

Services slowly return to normal across Marlborough but many still advised to boil water.

Businesses in quake-hit areas will be paid to keep on staff for at least eight weeks, the Govt says.

Questions are being asked about why key government buildings in Wellington have been impacted so badly, as concerns about more buildings emerge.

A further public health message has been issued for quake affected communities.

As Govt announces its relief package, Kaikoura businesses spell out what they need to survive.

Isolated farms in distant parts of southern Marlborough will soon get their first face to face contact with authorities since the

West Coast police today advised motorists to take extra care when driving through the Lewis Pass and Maruia Valley on SH7 and SH65 as traffic numbers build up.

Police are checking that people have a legitimate reason to be in quake-hit areas.

A number of schools have been closed due to flooding, affecting some students due to sit exams after afternoon.

Our photographers and reporters share some of the images captured after yesterday's quakes.

The truck driver who narrowly escaped being buried in the quake won't be in the dog box for calling his boss before his partner.

Richie McCaw, who has been airlifting stranded tourists out of Kaikoura, says the devastation from the air looks "pretty crazy".

Marlborough Civil Defence may evacuate six more people from the Clarence River area this morning.

The Clarence River has burst its banks, with residents being told to move to high ground immediately, as aftershocks continue to rock the country.

Most schools will open tomorrow, following hundreds of closures after the quake.

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett says property damage appears to be more widely dispersed across the district than during the previous Seddon earthquakes.

Scientists investigating the mechanics of the earthquake say it faulted in the same way the February 22, 2011, Christchurch Earthquake did.

Heavy rain and wind is forecast to batter the upper South Island and lower North Island this afternoon.

Primary responsibility for civil defence emergency management at a local level rests with your local council.

There are casualties following this morning's quakes, acting Civil Defence minister Gerry Brownlee says.

It's beginning to feel like summer in some parts of the country, with pohutukawa bursting into bloom. "People have been getting a

District health boards report bad stuff that happens to patients

Scott Watson has always claimed he is innocent of the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope.

A man who says he was severely beaten for wearing a pink shirt has halted police investigations after he decided not to make a formal statement.

A group of Scott Watson supporters today began a series of marches to highlight their case that he is wrongly imprisoned for the Marlborough Sounds murders.

Elisabeth Easther dives into the history of the Marlborough Sounds' best kept secret.

A truck driver accused of causing a crash that killed a Christchurch father of three today pleaded not guilty.

Changes undermine value of national bowel screening programme, expert says.

A man has been rescued by helicopter after his float plane crashed in the Marlborough Sounds this evening. The Nelson Marlborough