Day 41 Christchurch

Day 41 Christchurch

We didn’t get going until 10am this morning, but still managed to get the feel of this very interesting city.  At first, it seemed quite sad – 70% of buildings in the CBD (Central Business District) were destroyed or demolished as a result of the earthquakes in 2010-11 and there are many vacant lots and still some buildings boarded up, awaiting their fate.  Several also still have the markings on them from the immediate search and rescue/recovery operation: “Cleared” and the number of injured/fatalities in a circle on the front – but the rebirth is underway….there are murals, sculptures and surprising pop-up cafes and entertainments throughout the city…and the symbol of a giraffe has been chosen (“Stand tall, Christchurch” is its message…) and hundreds - brightly painted or otherwise decorated by school children, artists, companies and organisations – have been placed around the city to bring a smile…..

We walked through the refurbished ‘New Regent Street’ with its colourful colonial – style buildings and the tramlines straight through it…and then through Restart – an areas of several blocks with shops, restaurants and cafes in colourful shipping containers.  Much of the city is very quiet….only visitors and those who serve them…but the Restart area was buzzing.  We visited the ‘Quake City’ exhibition that was disturbing at first…it felt voyeuristic as I’ve never been much for disaster tourism…but ended with innovative ideas that got the city through the aftermath and plans for a spectacular new city, safe from earthquakes and filled with green spaces and amazing cultural and leisure facilities.  We then visited the ‘cardboard cathedral’ and the 185 chairs of remembrance memorial art installation.

We bought our lunch from a shop in a Restart container and took it past the punts on the River Avon to the beautiful botanical gardens to eat.  Rob napped in the shade of a giant tree in Arthur’s Lawn near the mechanical fountain while I explored the beautiful rose garden and New Zealand biome section – that had winding paths similar to many of our lakeside walks.

We visited the Canterbury Museum that we had heard was not up to much….and were surprised that people had denigrated it! We spent well over an hour exploring the Antarctica exhibition (with the actual huts from the Hallett Research base of 1956 and a simulated skidoo ride), the Maori culture and natural history sections, the sections showing the early colonial settlement of the Canterbury plains – with reconstructed huts – and a ‘typical’ Christchurch street in 1900 with shops you could go in and a pennyfarthing bike to sit on.  There was also a very strange exhibition about a New Zealand couple who polished Paua shells and made shell crafts and then covered the walls of their house with them…they bequeathed their living room to the museum – and there it is….very odd indeed…..

We did a bit of shopping and then walked through Hagley Park along the river back towards our hotel.  We stopped for dinner in a small local restaurant and returned in time for an evening swim…except that the pool was full of kids – and would my swimsuit dry before packing to leave??? Hmmm, a coffee instead and a start on the packing….and I really do fancy an early night!