Journalism links and observations from Julie Starr

I’m spending a bit of time in Christchurch at the moment, and every time I go I ask people what they have in their ‘get through‘ (survival) kit now that they’ve lived through a series of earthquakes – including that devastating one in February 2011.

Here are a few things people have said they now do:

1. Keep shoes/slippers by the bed – in case you have to get up and walk over broken glass in the night

2. Wear pajamas to bed or keep clothes nearby – in case you have to run out into the street at night time and don’t fancy being naked in public.

3. Have a whole lot of water stashed – for drinking, yes, but also for flushing the toilet, washing your hair, washing your clothes, washing the dishes, cleaning up the mess made by an earthquake splattering the contents of your fridge all over the floor and walls.

4. Have a couple of little LED lights at strategic points between the bedroom and the door to outside, so you can find your way in the dark.

5. Have a ‘run and go’ bag by the door with snacks, water, torch, something warm, pain killers and basic first aid kit – so you can be okay for a few hours or overnight.

7. Have a ‘last a few days’ kit in the garage with clothes for everyone, candles, matches, food, water, rubbish bags, torches, camping stove and cooking utensils, painkillers, prescription medicines, first aid kit and so on in case you get stranded and can’t get food/water/electricity for a few days.

There’s a national ‘earthquake drill‘ on September 26 2012, by the way.