I went to Christchurch for the first time about 16 years ago, and I hadn't been back until last week. It's fair to say that things have changed a bit.
Just in case anyone international is reading this, that's because in February 2011 there was a
serious earthquake in Christchurch - 185 people lost their lives as a result.
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| A temporary memorial with a chair for each life lost in Christchurch's 2011 quake. |
I remember when I heard about it; I was in France as an assistant English language teacher, went down for breakfast in the school where I lived, and one of the staff asked if I'd listened to the news. When I said no, she told me there had been a serious earthquake in New Zealand.
"I don't want to scare you, but they said there were quite a few people missing and some dead."
She couldn't remember the name of the city.
A call to my parents back home got me the essential information, and that night I sat disbelieving in front of the tv looking at rubble in Christchurch. When NZ makes tv news in France, you know it's serious.
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| Even now, Christchurch's CBD contains scenes like this... |
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| Most of the Christchurch CBD is open, save a few streets. |
It's something else to see the city with your own eyes, even after almost three years. There's an eerie amount of empty space in the CBD, and pockets of uninhabitable houses.
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| New life on the edge of Christchurch's CBD. |
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| Vacant sites are dotted throughtout the CBD in Christchurch. |
The
cathedral which used to be symbolic of Christchurch is a no-go zone, and the subject of court battles on whether or not it should come down.
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| Christchurch Cathedral - damaged after February 2011 earthquake. |
But what's popping up in the empty sites thanks to the
Gap Filler organisation is awesome - just like the attitude of Cantabrians! Gap Filler temporarily makes vacant sites into something for the community. So there's cafe, bar, and social hub the
Pallet Pavillion, contraptions made from recovered bits and pieces, and a series of mini-golf holes throughout the city. Caravans are turning into cafes, and the centre now boasts a
container mall.
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| Pallet Pavillion sprung up in a vacant city centre site. |
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| A course of mini golf holes can also be followed through the old Christchurch CBD. |
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| Re: START mall in central Christchurch. |
I guess this handmade tribute on ever-present temporary fencing sums it up.
