It's time to reach for the sunblock and head to the beach with the country set to swelter in 30C temperatures.

New Zealand is in for a relatively dry day today with areas of morning cloud and isolated showers in the north, clearing around midday and becoming mostly sunny.

Some of the earthquake relief efforts are wrapping up in Kaikoura.

Hundreds of home checks have been carried out in the worst-hit areas by Red Cross personnel since Monday's 7.8 quake.

A new video shows cracks have formed a major drop on a Clarence road.

Eight properties in Marlborough have been identified as being too badly damaged to be entered.

A Civil Defence helicopter made a nappy run to a remote part of Marlborough to bring supplies to a family with a young baby who have been cut off.

An alternative inland route for ferry traffic has been established running from Picton to Christchurch, via Murchison and the Lewis Pass.

Power, water and road access is slowly being restored to earthquake-hit areas of the South Island as crews work around the clock.

Questions are being asked about why key government buildings in Wellington have been impacted so badly, as concerns about more buildings emerge.

A further public health message has been issued for quake affected communities.

As Govt announces its relief package, Kaikoura businesses spell out what they need to survive.

Isolated farms in distant parts of southern Marlborough will soon get their first face to face contact with authorities since the

West Coast police today advised motorists to take extra care when driving through the Lewis Pass and Maruia Valley on SH7 and SH65 as traffic numbers build up.

Police are checking that people have a legitimate reason to be in quake-hit areas.

New aerial photos show there is much work to be done after Monday's 7.8 quake.

A mercy mission into rural quake-hit Marlborough has led to donations for farming communities and offers of help.

A number of schools have been closed due to flooding, affecting some students due to sit exams after afternoon.

Richie McCaw, who has been airlifting stranded tourists out of Kaikoura, says the devastation from the air looks "pretty crazy".

Marlborough Civil Defence may evacuate six more people from the Clarence River area this morning.

The Clarence River has burst its banks, with residents being told to move to high ground immediately, as aftershocks continue to rock the country.

Most schools will open tomorrow, following hundreds of closures after the quake.

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett says property damage appears to be more widely dispersed across the district than during the previous Seddon earthquakes.

Scientists investigating the mechanics of the earthquake say it faulted in the same way the February 22, 2011, Christchurch Earthquake did.

Newstalk ZB listeners share their stories of the night.

Scholarship exams have been cancelled, but NCEA exams can go ahead in schools if they are not earthquake damaged, NZQA says.

Heavy rain and wind is forecast to batter the upper South Island and lower North Island this afternoon.

Primary responsibility for civil defence emergency management at a local level rests with your local council.

There are casualties following this morning's quakes, acting Civil Defence minister Gerry Brownlee says.

It's beginning to feel like summer in some parts of the country, with pohutukawa bursting into bloom. "People have been getting a