The 81-test veteran - now a Sky TV rugby commentator - brought wife Nicolle and the couple's three children to Queenstown after the February 22 earthquake seriously damaged their clifftop Sumner home.
"We lived in Clifton Hill, which is right smack bang underneath the faultline."
The family returned to Christchurch in March but falling rubble from a second major aftershock injured their 4-year-old daughter Lucia and further damaged the house.
Although the children were "no more scared" than other Christchurch children, Marshall said the injury, which required stitches, made him think "what the hell are we doing here?"
"It was starting to affect them and when you see one of your kids hurt ..."
The flexibility of his job with Sky, coupled with the fact the Clifton hill home was rented, was an "equation in our favour."
Queenstown had been ex-Southlander Marshall's second option after returning last June from five years playing in Britain.
"We contemplated Queenstown when we moved back from the UK. Christchurch is not going to be back on its feet anytime soon. We wanted to find a place that was functioning."
Over the past week, Lachlan (8) and Fletcher (6) have started at Remarkables Primary School while Lucia joined Frankton Kindergarten.
Both his sons have already begun the rugby season in Queenstown and the former All Blacks halfback (37) said he "intends to play a few games when I can," for Wakatipu.
"We're excited to be in this part of the world and it means I can drive to Invercargill rather than fly."
