There was just a M6.3 somewhat oblique strike-slip earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand. This is interesting to me for several reasons. There was a M7 on a previously unknown fault last summer(?) west of Christchurch. But, I think this is not on a projection of that fault (is not the next section of same fault). It seems very likely they are related by static stress changes. I've been to Christchurch a couple of times. I don't like big cities, but it is a small city and one of my favorites. CNN.com reports significant damage: a M6.3 right at the city can be worse than a M7 at some distance.

I was there on my way to and back from Antarctica. The last flight out of McMurdo station Antactica is about this time of year. If you miss that flight the next flight out is in October. In 1996 I was on the second to last flight out of McMurdo: the last flight stopped at McMurdo from the South pole and left a few minutes after ours. We had a nice end of research cruise party at McMurdo the night before, with dancing. I thought that it would be quite the hangover if you woke up just as the last flight was leaving and you were stranded for 8 months.

But, I made the flight, and there was a nice mid-summer's concert in Christchurch. The coast redwood in the botanical garden was planted in the 1930s and is already as big as one in California that is hundreds of years old. Or, maybe that was a different New Zealand botanical garden...
Chris