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So sorry to hear about your son's friend, Caroline.   :'(

I'm very sorry to hear of your son's loss, Caroline. Words only help a little, but perhaps it will support your son and his other friend to know that complete strangers on the other side of the world are feeling for them, just now.

:'(

Have just been reading the messages from my son and his travelling companion on the facebook page of the friend they have lost and I'm in tears. They are coming home for the funeral, whenever that is- can't wait to see him. Thanks again everyone x

such a sad loss thinking about his family and friends

I am so sorry about  your son's friend. Thinking of his family, your son and also of you.  Very best wishes. Mandy x

spoke to my son this morning. Apparently it's a very long process getting the body repatriated. Someone from the foreign office is going out but is not there yet, and the family has been asked to meet the NZ prime minister. Why can't they just let them get on the plane and bring him home?

Just come on here, after being off for a while.
I am so sorry yo here about your sons friend, may he rest in peace.
    June.

So sorry to hear that Caroline, i haven't been on a4a till now I've been too busy finding people. It takes so long because they have to make sure they have the right person, in situations like this people can be very damaged and apparently sometimes people have claimed the wrong person. DNA has to be checked and if family isn't local that slows it down.

John Key is taking the whole thing personally, it's not his first disaster recently. He has family in Christchurch too. I won't know if any of my friends has been hurt or killed until I see all the names. Between Murphy's Creek tsunami and this i now have a lot of homeless/semi homeless family.

It hurts to see my home city where i lived for a big chunk of my life so damaged. My husband (english) loved it when we visited in 2001 and he has planned to move there ever since.

Our Australian neighbours have been fantastic...i hope they win all sporting events in the next year! CHCH is apparently full of Aussies helping out despite the continuing aftershocks which must be really scary for people who don't normally experience earthquakes.

Thanks for the explanation, Kea, and sorry that you are still waiting. At least Greg was found by people who knew where he was and were able to identify him. My heart goes out to the families of those whose bodies may never be found.

Well my ex-husband phoned me last night to tell me that a friend is missing in the ctv building, so i guess he will never be found. Sad for his family.

So sorry to hear this, Kea. :'(

My son rang this morning and told me that his friend's family are having a Maori blessing and cremation in NZ for Greg on Wednesday, which sounds lovely, then they will bring his ashes home. Jonny and his mate still plan to come home for a couple of weeks and no doubt they and their friends will orgnise something here to celebrate Greg's life before they return to their travels.

I've just been looking at the "Rise up Christchurch" facebook page- very humbling.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=692313878&sk=friends&v=friends#!/riseupchristchurch

i've been linked into that page on FB, Caroline. Also the University of Canterbury page....and Ashburton Online which is giving great coverage of Christchurch news probably better than the actual christchurch pages. I was really pleased to hear that there were no bodies found under the fallen cathedral tower...a miracle because there were plenty of people in there including my friends Dad. Perhaps there is a god after all.