The New Brighton women's surf life savers love the Mount; the toilets work, there are showers and the ground is stable.

New Brighton Surf Life Savers, from left Ilia Lindsay, Megan de Lambert, Janelle Trask, Libby Armitage, Eva McDougall.

'You would never have thought that flushing a toilet is a luxury.” says Megan de Lambert.

'The weather's so nice and the weather in Christchurch has been so gross. And when it's hot you can't go out because the water's full of sewage.”

They are at the Mount revelling in everyday luxuries because of the earthquake. New Brighton, New Zealand's oldest surf life saving club, was to host the centennial surf life saving nationals and the New Zealand Masters championships until the earthquake on February 22 changed the plan.

'We haven't been able to train since the earthquake.” says Ilia Lindsay. 'We can't train at the beach, we can't swim in the sea. We have to go out to Kaiapoi which is a one and a half hour drive.”

The centennial Surf Life Saving Nationals are being hosted by the Mount Surf Life Saving Club beginning yesterday through to Sunday.

Mount, Papamoa and Omanu surf life saving clubs have made equipment available for surf life savers who could not get their gear from the South Island at short notice or lost it in the earthquake.

Christchurch surf life saving clubs include Waimari, North Beach, Taylors Mistake, Sumner South Brighton and New Brighton.