Off to Tomorrow Land of the 1980's: April 2014

Timaru Sunrise from our front room

As Easter approaches, it is a time to consider things rising once again. There are signs of rebirth in Christchurch, NZ after the major earthquakes of September, 2010 and February, 2011, tremors we felt at the time 90 miles away in Timaru. The pre-quake charm of the 19th century Georgian city is still fresh in our minds. We had a brief visit in June, 2012, but we were curious as to how things were going since then as we traveled northward.

Not great, I regret to report. Although there have been no major after-shocks in the last two years, the city is still reeling. The initial phase of energetic optimism has given way to some sobering realities. It will never be as it was. It will take decades more for a "full" recovery. The population has dropped 5%, the rents increased 35%, and home prices are up 20% (the law of supply and demand).

I found it hard to get precise numbers, but well over 1,000 (maybe 50%) of the buildings in the CBD (Central Business District) have been torn down, and the majority of the 19th century Heritage buildings, including the iconic Anglican Cathedral, are gone or soon will be. 20-30,000 homes are destroyed or uninhabitable. Christchurch is said to have been built on a swamp, and the quakes caused wide-spread liquefaction of the underground, uplifting in some areas, damaging 80% of the water and sewage pipes, and making wide areas unsafe for rebuilding. This has also resulted in altered rain-drainage patterns, causing frequent flooding with down-pours. The previously congested traffic is at times impassable due to rerouting of roads worsening gridlock.

It was a very moving visit, walking through the mostly hollowed-out center of the city. Across the street from the site of the collapse of the Canterbury TV building, where the majority of lives were lost, is a simple installation of 185 white chairs, one for each life lost.

Next to that is the Transitional Cathedral, better-known as the Cardboard Cathedral. Designed by Japanese "emergency architect" Shigeru Ban, and made of cardboard, local wood, and steel, it is made to last 50 years, and will become a parish church after the main cathedral is rebuilt in Cathedral Square.

It is a simple yet elegant A-frame structure, with waves of large cardboard tubes drawing your eye to the cross and the altar. The left wall is adorned with a 12-painting depiction of the "Stations of the Cross" by John Babcock.

Panel entitled "My God My God why"

The original Cathedral did not fare so well. The Anglican Church has made the difficult decision that it is not practical to restore the ruins, and plan to rebuild, over the strong objections of many residents.

How things were in May, 2010

How it looks now...

with a Maori-inspired "vestibule"

(Here is a link to a site that has a extensive list of all the Heritage public and private structures that did not survive.)

Lightening the mood for the season, Whittaker's Chocolates is sponsoring "The Big Egg Hunt", 23 ova brightly-painted by local artists. Here are a half-dozen I spotted.

Another new egg-shaped edifice has nothing to do with Easter, but with rugby. Desperate for a place to enjoy the 2011 Rugby World Cup post-quake, this sports bar/restaurant was constructed like a giant inflated rugby ball with a replica of the World Cup trophy outside. To everyone's relief, the nation's team the All Blacks took home the hardware.

We also spied this ethereal homage to the Cathedral spires suspended in a park downtown.

Some familiar sights remain for photo-ops, such as the Peacock Fountain between the Museum and the Botanic Garden.

Meanwhile, back in South Canterbury, we continue to enjoy their parks and gardens, especially the whimsy of Caroline Bay. There is often something surprising going on to enjoy in a laid-back way, like this display of vintage American cars........