I went on the Red Zone Bus Tour on Sunday. We had an awesome Red Cross lady, Audrey who was funny and made the whole trip very pleasant. I didn't know how I would react. But it turned out different to what I thought. It reminded me of when a German guy was at our place a few months ago and told us how he had been in NZ for some months on a working visa but then had a lot of his personal things stolen from his car and he stopped enjoying NZ, decided perhaps it was time to cut his trip short and go home. He then came to Christchurch and liked it so much he decided to stay and work. We made cynical comments about it not being a city but nice suburbs and he said no. He loved Hagley Park. He saw a busker playing "Amazing Grace" opposite the fenced off Arts Centre and he said it was really beautiful and decided to stay.
That is what I found on the red zone bus tour, the Christchurch I knew so well has gone, never to come back but a new city is here and it has beauty and interesting things of its own, if I care to take it as it is.
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You can buy in the soon to be heart of a new city
- even promises no camping will be required this time! |
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| Nature has a go at its own mosaic on the footpath |
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| The fan was swinging gently in the breeze |
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Only two panes smashed,
the rest look perfect |
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| Newly exposed wall old wall |
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The carpark with the bit of wood on it was the carpark
I parked in 2 Tuesday's earlier, right at the front of CTV
to talk to people no longer here |
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I think this could be quite a popular bit
in the new city - it looks pretty |
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Never has this sign been more truly obeyed,
the building in front has been demolished |
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| St John's Latimer Square is gone but a lovely tree is still there |
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| Roses keep flowering merrily |
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Would these wild flowers been allowed
to flourish pre Feb 22 |
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| Carnivores is gone :( |
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Other than the wonky light pole, this looks lovely,
a view blocked by buildings before |
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| Victoria Square - overgrown but still pretty - lanterns from Feb |
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| Needs a bit of weeding but still looks like a city :) |
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Looking like a little survivor, this shop is
red stickered but still there so far |
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If the quake had happened 20 mins later this is
where Tristan & Karl would have been heading up in the car |
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| Red Heart still gently swinging |
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| Backs of buildings - lovely red brick |
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| Palm Tree still looking all good. |
3 comments:
Thanks for the pics, Fiona. Haven't seen Chch since the quakes struck - suspect it'll be a shock when I arrive in a couple of weeks and am struck by how much is just gone...
If you have been away long enough that you can't quite remember what it was like then it won't too bad - it is a different place. I was trying to remember what used to be where and I was in there everyday pre Feb22. I gave up it was easier to just accept it is all gone and go with what is left.
Thanks for photos. Did the trip yesterday. Felt like a ghost town.Lost my directions a lot of the time. Nice to coffee in a "strange Ballantynes". At least there were people about.
12.12.2011
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