September 7 2010

Methven has been hit particularly hard, the quake having indefinitely closed businesses including accommodation at Canterbury Hotel, Steel-Worx Restaurant and Bar and Café 131.

Canterbury Hotel owner Dave den Baars said he expected his repair bill to exceed $200,000. The hotel had been raised in one area and dropped in another. "We have decided it's given it really good character, we are trying to be positive right now," Mr den Baars said.

"Now some beds are a lot lower at one end than the other."

He had slept little since the quake, having to repair a broken hot water cylinder and consequent interior flooding twice and organising engineers' reports.

He was grateful the bar and restaurant could remain open, but accommodation quarters on the second floor had to be closed down.

"It will be back to its original, it's just going to take time and money," Mr den Baars said.

Forest Drive was to be reduced to one lane last night as there were fears the cordoned-off Steelworx, in a small 1911 building, and Icehouse Gallery across the road could crumble into the street.

Both the town library, built 1883, and museum, built 1917, have interior damage and are awaiting inspection.

Café 131 is located in the historic Stones building on Main Street, built in the 1920s. It requires a new ceiling and is closed until this can be installed.

In the same building is the Professionals real estate and town post office which are still trading.

Landlord Selwyn Allred said there were interior hairline cracks, and cracks in the exterior façade at the top of the building had opened up. The damage was superficial and repairable.

"We got off pretty light really, we got a fair old shake-up," he said.

Methven Heritage Centre committee members are relieved they spent $90,000 on earthquake strengthening at Mt Hutt Memorial Hall as part of a recent $2 million redevelopment. Committee member Viv Barrett said there was still a few thousand dollars worth of damage, such as broken windows and interior superficial cracks.

"We could have had it down around our ears (without strengthening work), because there's quite a lot of very high brick work," he said.