Another week and still things get worse for poor Christchurch.
Our daughter was there in the weekend and had to go to the emergency department when the ghastly dust made her asthma, which has been sleeping peacefully for a long time now, come back with a vengeance.
Our friends living there tell us terrible stories about the difficulties of living somewhere with such fragile infrastructure and with so many people struggling to get the simplest bits of their lives back on track.
Friends around the world keep emailing and there are fundraising events going on all over the place.
My nephew's very large and very grand King's College School in Wimbledon is holding a special day for Christchurch next week.
I'm sure it would bring a smile to all the Crusaders' faces to see how proud my nephew is about wearing their colours to school that day (he's probably the LEAST likely person ever to become a Crusader, having been heard complaining about getting mud on himself playing schoolboy rugby).
One of the best things about living here is how many great places are just next door.
I'm just back from a few days down in Fiordland. Although the weather was extremely big and busy at first, it got a lot kinder after a while. It was blissful being in such a silent place.
We even had some short periods of total sunny stillness and it was quite surreal kayaking in those huge dark waters with the bright blue sky and clouds reflected so clearly that I felt I was paddling across the sky.
We came back from Deep Cove feeling so lucky to be coming home to Queenstown - the other tourists were from all around the world and were gobsmacked at what we've got in this country.
There was even a family from the Falkland Islands - I couldn't help but ask why they didn't choose a warmer, less remote destination for their holiday and they said they had always dreamt of coming here.
I was very worried to see a sign saying the BNZ was closing for good this week - not least because I bank with them and they are meant to be minding my measly savings, but also because they have the best free pens of any business I know of.
So it came as a great relief to see that it is closing not "for" good, but to "do" good.
What a great idea (and thanks for the pens as well - it's my pathetic attempt at bank robbery).
There are still plenty of tickets for some of the Festival of Colour shows coming to Queenstown next month.
I just checked and there are still seats available for the Ole Ola South American dance show (look at the reviews online - sounds like 90 minutes of non-stop, very sexy energy!).
Passing Wind has still got space as well - my friends who took their children along to see this musical show in Auckland absolutely loved it.
The festival's ticket-booking website - www.festivalofcolour.co.nz - crashed on the first two days of opening, but it's all up and running properly now.
I'm trying to persuade all my Christchurch friends to come down for the festival, not just to give them a break from all the sadness, but because these shows are all so good they'd be a big cheer-up even if you didn't need it.
Thanks so much for all last week's emails and, for those of you I didn't already reply to, here are some more suggestions for books to send your friends who need some happiness.
I've told you all before about Matthew Johnstone and James Kerr's An Alphabet of the Human Heart - this delightful little book is a tonic for anyone on any day when things don't look totally rosy.
The Daily Mail has a great review of it, including some of the perfect illustrations, which remind me a little of Leunig's work.
For someone who needs reminding that there's still plenty of beauty and peace in the world, consider Alex Vervoordt's latest book of interiors - the expensive but fabulous Wabi Inspirations.
"Nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect" is the Wabi philosophy and the photos in this book show that even fleeting, unfinished imperfection can be utterly inspirational.
I love the story about the artist in London who had wondered what he could possibly paint after World War 2 had destroyed all of the city's beauty.
And, of course, he found so much that was still beautiful.
I'm mad about books that show the bigness of the human heart.
And especially ones with the story of one person making a massive difference, so it's no surprise that I adored I Shall Not Hate.
The author is the Gaza doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish.
He's an infertility doctor from Gaza who has been awarded all sorts of humanitarian awards for his work bringing peace between Israel and Palestine.
Just two years ago, Israeli shelling killed three of his daughters and a niece and he has worked tirelessly to try to create a peace that will mean their deaths have been worthwhile.
His descriptions of the endless daily difficulties for Palestinians are staggering - it is not possible to read the news of this conflict anymore without this good doctor's words ringing in my head.
I know it sounds an unlikely book for a cheer-up read, but it really, really is.
