28 July Christchurch

Christchurch was just supposed to be a stopping place between transport from Wellington to Dunedin. After some changes in itenerary before and after I got here, it became a place to visit.  I didn't want to come to Christchurch, but now that I have, I'm glad I did.  

On my trip from the airport i didn't spot any damage from the quakes of 2010-11, but today it was easy to find evidence.

I started my day walking through Hagley Park

I passed by Christ's College getting my first look at rebuilding work, then slipped into the Canterbury Museum.  It was a fantastic museum.  They have a huge collection of china and glass from the past three centuries.  I saw a horse

 And a Dino-elk?

I walked through the maze of street and building closures of the CBD (that's the central business district for all you non geography majors). It was eerie to walk by businesses that were void of life and had these kinds of markings on the windows

 

Or the date they had been searched.  In some stores you could still see all their goods just sitting there covered in dust.  

I went to the Re:Start mall on Cashel Street.  A majority of the stores are made out of shipping containers.

Then I walked a couple of blocks to Cathedral Square.  This week the battle to tear it down has been won and it will start coming down.  I don't know why people thought this could be saved

The picture doesnt do the destruction justice.

Amazing destruction, so much to yet be pulled down, repaired, but the people I met were just so friendly and excited about the future.  

I spent a couple of hours at the mall closer to my hotel and splurged on this

This is a charm bracelet designed by nz company called evolve.  It's like a pandora one, but each charm related to New Zealand.  The charms I bought today represent (in left to right order) Hibiscus Coast (where the Macs live) the nz flag, Christchurch, map of nz, and Taupo (where my feet froze).  I plan to get a glass bead for each place I've been and a charm for things that are nz like a kiwi fruit and bird, netball, tomato sauce jar, silver fern, etc.

Tonight my legs are exhausted, so I think I'll stay in, pack, eat Jaffas, rest and get ready for my trip to Dunedin!!!