Christchurch awoke with a start at 4:35am. For 30 seconds, the city shook violently, as groggy Cantabrians forced themselves out of bed to find shelter under door frames. There were no fatalities, except for one person who suffered a heart attack. The quake caused over $40 billion in damages and triggered a series of devastating aftershocks. 

31 men were inside the West Coast mine when a massive buildup of methane was sparked, triggering an explosion. Two men were able to walk out of the mine, the other 29 remain there to this day. 

Aftershocks struck every few weeks after the September 2010 earthquake, culminating in the February disaster. The 6.3 magnitude quake was shallower and centred closer to the city. 185 people lost their lives, and the city was left scarred. 

Despite years on top of the world rugby rankings, the All Blacks had fumbled five consecutive World Cup appearances and were starting to earn a label as chokers. A clever Tony Woodcock try and a Stephen Donald penalty kick would go down as legend, helping the All Blacks secure a tight 8-7 victory over France.

The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013, introduced by Labour MP Louisa Wall, passed 77 to 44, making New Zealand the 15th country to legalise gay marriage. 

The bassy finger snaps and husky vocals of then-16-year-old Ella Yelich-O’Connor - better known by her stage name Lorde - took the world by storm. It became the first song by a NZ artist to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it stayed for nine consecutive weeks. She also became the youngest female artist to top the chart in 26 years.

The first global rugby superstar, Lomu was a giant of the game. When he fell, the whole nation felt it. 

Lomu had been battling a serious kidney disorder since 1995. He died from a heart attack associated with the condition. 

Tens of thousands attended public ceremonies at Eden Park and Vodafone Events Centre. 

A drawn-out process of public consultations, submissions and two referenda ultimately ended with a vote to keep the status quo. But without it, we never would have met and fallen in love with the glorious Laser Kiwi. 

Since the gruesome Bain family murders in 1995, debate raged about who was really responsible. Was David Bain a murderer, or a victim of wrongful imprisonment? It even got turned into an extremely popular podcast. 

After being found not guilty at his 2009 retrial, he lodged a claim for compensation. The final report from retired Australian judge Ian Callinan found that Bain was not innocent "on the balance of probabilities". He received a $925,000 payment, but no apology.

The New Zealand Olympic team raked in 18 medals, screaming past the previous best of 13, set in London four years prior. Athletics and sailing led the charge with four medals each. Women contributed over half of the medals for only the second time ever, bringing home 11. 

The 7.8 magnitude quake was the second-most powerful quake ever recorded in New Zealand. People reported feeling two minutes of rumbling everywhere from Dunedin to Auckland. There were two deaths and widespread damage to property and infrastructure.

The forces of nature were not done rocking Christchurch. It was a bone-dry afternoon when two fires popped up in quick succession just a few kilometres apart in Selwyn. Hundreds of residents were evacuated and nine homes destroyed. A helicopter pilot died in a crash while fighting the fire.

As Cyclone Debbie pounded the country, the Rangitāiki River breached its stopbank, forcing 2000 people to evacuate with only a few minutes notice. 

The country had its first change of government in nine years when NZ First leader Winston Peters ended three weeks of negotiation by entering into a coalition with Labour. It made Jacinda Ardern the youngest female Prime Minister in the world. 

Early in her tenure as Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern announced she was pregnant. She became the second woman head of state to have a baby in office - with the arrival of Neve Te Aroha, on June 21, 2018.

It was a decade of natural disasters, but the most devastating news story was one of human hatred. A white supremacist stormed two Christchurch mosques during the Salaat-ul-Jumu'ah Friday prayers. 51 worshippers died for their faith. 

Yet another tragedy struck in the closing days of the decade. Whakaari/White Island erupted while 47 people - mostly tourists - were on the active volcano. To date, 17 have died, two are missing presumed dead, and another 29 suffered critical injuries.