A sports day planned for Kaikōura locals who have been cut off from the rest of the country for nearly a fortnight has been cancelled because of high winds.
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Hundreds of the seaside town's full-time residents are surviving on limited supplies and no update on when roads in or out might reopen.
View RNZ's full coverage of the earthquakes here.
To counter the hardship of the quake's aftermath, Sports Tasman had organised a sports day that was expected to include family netball, touch and league tournaments and visits from Kiwis league player Shaun Johnson and Silver Fern Kayla Cullen.
However, Kaikōura district mayor Winston Gray announced at the town's daily civil defence briefing today that the event was cancelled.
"Due to the weather conditions, they can't get in here."
MetService forecast gale-force northwesterlies for the region, recording wind gusts of more than 70 kilometres per hour this afternoon.
A separate community gathering was planned for tomorrow afternoon in Churchill Park, featuring live music, games and a free sausage sizzle.
A bouncy castle, marquees, sound gear and food for the event were delivered by truck today, with the balance of the equipment due to be trucked and flown in tomorrow morning.
MetService's severe weather watch warned strong, gusty westerlies were likely until midday tomorrow, but would die away after that.
Civil Defence controller Murray Sinclair said another army convoy made it to the town along the inland road this morning.
The convoy brought mostly food to re-supply the local supermarkets and to provide supplies to businesses such as bakeries, Mr Sinclair said.
"Hopefully in the next week we should see some more of those wee businesses down in the main street re-open."
Meanwhile, some essential services were restored to the town yesterday.
A boil-water notice for the town was still in place, but the damaged sewerage system was repaired, allowing residents to once again use their own showers and toilets.
Portaloos and chemical toilets were brought into the town via four warships, including from the United States, Canada and Australia.
Residents should keep showers short and restrict them to every second day, Civil Defence said.
