Houses near a Marlborough river are evacuated for fear of a dam burst, Wellington grapples with post-quake building damage and roads are starting to re-open.
And the aftershocks keep rolling on - more than 2000 of them since Monday's 7.8 magnitude quake.
Here are some of the day's main developments:
Marlborough, Kaikoura
Occupants of four houses on the Ure River south of Ward have been evacuated because of fears that several slip dams, created by Monday's 7.8 earthquake, will breach. Three dams have formed along the river from slips and debris.
Marlborough civil defence controller Richard McNamara with a map of the Ure River area. Photo: RNZ / Kate Newton
A convoy of 28 army trucks which set out for Kaikoura from Burnham military camp south of Christchurch has been held up in Culverden because of fears of landslides along the route.
However, it is expected to leave Culverden at 4pm and continue on to Kaikoura.
A convoy of 28 army trucks has left Burnham military camp south of Christchurch to deliver water, fuel and enough fresh food to Kaikoura.
The inland road to Kaikoura, SH70 from Culverden, is open to military-style 4WD vehicles, but not to private vehicles yet.
Highway access to Hanmer Springs has been fully restored through SH7 and SH7A.
More than 100 of the people who were evacuated by ship from Kaikoura overnight are being put up in student accommodation at the University of Canterbury. They were among 455 evacuees who arrived at Lyttelton on the naval ship Canterbury, along with four dogs and 7 tonnes of baggage. Many travellers have since continued on their way.
French tourists Lucie and Louisa moments before leaving Kaikoura on the HMNZS Canterbury. Photo: RNZ / Max Towle
Now the military evacuation from Kaikoura has ended, the Defence Force will focus on getting relief supplies to affected areas.
The Defence Force helicopters dropped pallets of bottled water into Kaikoura last night.
More portaloos have arrived in Kaikoura as the town remains without flushing toilets. Military helicopters will airlift pipes into Kaikoura to help rebuild the sewerage system.
Dairy farmers in the Kaikoura district are managing to get all their cows milked, despite a power cut, no water and damage to milking sheds, but some have to dump milk until road access is reopened.
Mark Sutherland has a coffee business based in a building next to the condemned building in Molesworth St. Photo: RNZ / Aaron Smale
Wellington
Wellington is facing another afternoon of high winds, putting more pressure on quake recovery efforts.
Cordons remain around a 10-storey building, at 61 Molesworth Street, which is in danger of collapsing. The quake caused major damage to a structural beam.
Tenants in an apartment building next door were allowed in briefly to retrieve belongings this morning.
A cordon near an evacuated apartment block on Tennyson Street has been lifted, although residents are not being allowed back in.
Shipping company P&O Cruises is still hoping to get its Pacific Aria cruise ship into Wellington on Monday.
Council officers have completed assessments of 59 earthquake-prone buildings in Lower Hutt and only one requires further inspection by an engineer. Queensgate Mall in Lower Hutt and Wainuiomata Mall remain closed.
Wellington buildings that have been temporarily closed due to quake concerns include:
* Wellington's Archives NZ building
* Tennyson Apartments
* Defence House
* Statistics House
* The Rankine Brown Building at Victoria University
* Victoria University's entire Pipitea Campus
* BNZ Corporate Offices on Harbour Quays
* The BNZ Branches in Kilbirnie and Lower Hutt
* The Council's service centre in Lower Hutt
* Khandallah Pool in Lower Hutt
* Tawa Recreation Centre
* Miramar and Maupuia Community centre
* The central library (all other libraries open)
* Toi Pōneke Arts Centre
* IBM House in Petone
* Lower Hutt PostShop
* Thorndon Post Centre
* Marion Square PostShop
* Queensgate Shopping Centre