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Today started overcast and a bit chillier than of late, but by the afternoon was bright and sunny.
This is the most difficult post I've written on this trip as it deals with very recent tragic events. I hope anyone reading this who was affected will find this a sensitive account of what I saw and my thoughts, and ultimately optimistic.
We spent the whole day in Christchurch, which was devasted by a series of 4 earthquakes between September 2010 and December 2011. The most devastating for the city centre occurred on 22 February 2011, so the 4th anniversary has only just passed. 185 people were killed so understandably there is still a lot of a pain and sorrow around.
Plenty of the centre is still just wasteland and there are many buildings that are awaiting demolition, leading to a feeling of a ghost town. It felt voyeuristic wandering around when we first ventured in last night.
The iconic cathedral is a mess. There is a huge debate as to whether it should be restored or pulled down and rebuilt. Whatever is decided, the process needs to start soon as it could act as a positive symbol in the regeneration of the city.
However, not all is doom and gloom. There is much cause for optimism and real hope for the future. The regeneration has started. One of the first was the Restart Container Mall. This where imaginative use of shipping containers have allowed existing businesses to continue and new ones to start. It's a very attractive area and everyone we spoke to there are full of optimism. Conceived as a temporary solution, many would like to see it made a permanent installation, both as a reminder of what occurred and as a symbol of resilience. Like malls everywhere, it has a diverse range of shops, eateries, banks etc.
When we had sauntered in last night, we noticed the theatre nestling among the ruins. Popping in to inquire whether there were any shows on during our stay (there aren't) the guy told us how the foyer of the theatre had been rebuilt, taking advantage to improve the layout whilst retaining the look and feel of the old building, and that they're doing well, audiences are coming back and they're expanding to be able to show films.
Other signs of the recovery are a new hotel has been built and The Arts Centre and college are being restored.
There is a long way to go with many difficult decisions to be made and much investment is needed. Many people are still waiting for their houses to be repaired. Many businesses have moved to the suburbs and are understandably reluctant to move back given the usual city centre issues such as traffic etc.
Nevertheless, the locals have a great sense of humour. Combined with resilience and ingenuity I believe the city will find new life, and the lessons learned and new technology will lead to more resilient buildings that will have a chance of surviving the next big one.
So, where did we actually go today?
We started at the Canterbury Museum, Canterbury being the district in which Christchurch resides. The free museum has many interesting exhibitions though, as usual, we only had time for a handful. I was particularly interested in the Antarctic exhibition, and one of early tourist advertising posters was fascinating. There was a very good display of early Maori colonisation and the devastating affect that had on the Moas, a large flightless bird they hunted to extinction. There was also a temporary exhibition of a selection of one guy's t-shirt collection, numbering many thousands. One t-shirt is so offensive it can only be viewed by those over 18. Having seen it I can understand why and this is not the place to go into details.
Next we went to Quake City. Nestling in the heart of the Restart Container Mall, this annexe of the Canterbury Museum tells the story of the series of earthquakes that devastated the city 4 years ago. It includes many personal accounts. It also explains why the affects were so devastating and looks to the future.
We stayed in Restart for a fantastic pizza lunch from a lovely little outlet, plus a bit of window shopping.
Then we strolled over to the Cardboard Cathedral. This is temporary structure to take the place of the cathedral until it has been restored or rebuilt. It is mainly constructed from metal and plastic, but the interior supports are surrounded by cardboard. It has a simplistic looking elegance and beauty, and lovely acoustics.
I wandered back to the hotel through the beautiful Botanic Gardens.
Given we have less than 24 hours left in this amazing country, after a takeaway tea of sausage and chips I spent the evening packing and trying to work out how to keep within the weight restrictions!
Today JB had another rest as we drove exactly 0km.
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