Rebuilding of a city

Once parked up, we walked into the centre, passing the cathedral that stood empty and derelict, a constant reminder of the devastation caused by the 2011 earthquake. For six years the ruins remained, waiting for a decision to be made about whether to carry out costly repairs and restore it to its former glory, or whether to demolish it and build something else in its place. In September 2017 it was finally confirmed that the landmark would be restored. It was clear to us that the city has, and continues, to rebuild, recover and reestablish its identity. There has been an effort to 'fill the gaps’ with temporary art installations and entertainment projects so as to bring interest, and I guess hope, of the city re-emerging. One cool one we found was a ticket machine that allowed you to select and print out a ‘mission’ created by locals of an interesting sight or activity in the city. There was also a wooden outbuilding with a flowering roof and walls, and tasteful graffiti and murals. We browsed the New Zealand Geographic photographer of the year open-air exhibit (Hugo got drone envy from seeing the fantastic aerial shots). We spotted a few food trucks in the square and chose a rendang meal deal, delicious! The exchange rate is a little kinder here, with the pound approximately half the dollar. In true NZ style there were seats in the shape of sheep, cute. The old style trams follow their course around the city, making for interesting photographs. We walked down to the riverside, a tranquil spot with a war cemetery, each cross adorned with a poppy. Ahead there was a temporary pavilion designed by Auckland-based artist Gregor Kregar, with scraps of wood used for the ceiling, handmade glass bricks and repurposed neon lights. Passing under the bridge of remembrance we came across a container mall, with banks and shops set up inside the shipping containers, a relic of their many uses after the earthquake, for example to protect pedestrians, houses and vehicles from falling rock as buildings were demolished and as supports for damaged buildings. We found the trade aid shop (like Oxfam shops in the UK) and bought some chocolate covered almonds, as recommended by Margaret. Yum!

Our final attraction to visit was Quake City, a museum dedicated to explaining and commemorating the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. On the way we passed a giant version of mancala, however neither of us could remember how to play! The museum played harrowing videos of survivors and people affected by the earthquake. The city was flattened, with over 100,000 buildings destroyed or consequently demolished. Thousands of residents also lost their homes. Many were without power or water, phone lines disconnected and roads damaged. Sewage pipes were damaged, resulting in 42,000 chemical toilets being handed out to residents and sparking the 'show us your long drop’ competition where people would build long drops in their gardens and send in photos. One such photo had a sign 'the Ritz for your sh**z’. Comedy in a time of tragedy. 185 people died and many more were injured. What stood out was the stories of the community coming together in need, for example the 800 strong ‘farmy army’ and University of Canterbury student volunteer army, made of 10,000 students who helped to clear the liquefaction.

Time for one last trip to pak n save. We spent several minutes trying to decipher the colours and types of milk. Would you say trim, lite, calcitrim or standard was our green top?! Then there were all the old mout cider flavours - we are deprived in the UK! Sadly, I would later regret my choice of boysenberry, which was wine and cider together, ew.Read more