Kaikoura has been hosting visitors from out of town including Prime Minister John Key, mental health activist and former All Black Sir John Kirwan and Duncan Garner hosted his RadioLIVE show from the town.
Thousands of tourists have cancelled their trips to Kaikoura and "businesses are economically shattered," says Garner. It could take up to a year for them to get back on their feet.
Garner spent the day catching up with the locals to find out what they were doing when the quake struck, what happened afterwards and the incident with a busload of tourists.
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