This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).
Today’s travel notes
I’m fond of New Zealand. It’s my opinion that the people are honourable and forthright. Last weekend, me and the TC took a two-day trip to Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island. With around 380,000 inhabitants, Christchurch is the second-largest city of New Zealand after Auckland in terms of population.
Ten years ago, Christchurch and surrounds were hit by two earthquakes. The first quake was a magnitude 7.1 in September 2010. The second quake in February 2011, though smaller (magnitude 6.2), caused far more damage to an already weakened city. Aftershocks continued throughout the year.
Reading a factual account of the 2011 earthquake is like reading a horror story. The ground below the city turned to sludge and squirted up into the streets. Buildings that had survived the 2010 quake succumbed to the second one, with devastating results. 185 people died. Parts of the city were closed down for years while people worked to make them safe.
Today, when you stroll the city streets, all is calm and peaceful. Children roll by on bicycles. People enjoy ice creams beside the river. A historic tram trundles past with tourists beaming through the windows. You’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice much amiss. But the amount of empty ground strikes you as strange, even if subconsciously. You wonder why there are so many gravel-covered plots governed by a temporary-looking Wilson Parking sign. You notice the buildings that look on the verge of falling down. Some have jagged cracks in the masonry, bolted together with metal plates.
I came away with feelings of peace and respect for the city and its people.
The book I’m in
A Shimmer of Hummingbirds by Steve Burrows. This is my first taste of the birder murders. It’s good. Try one!
Travel tips
Take the time to absorb the calm and peace of the city.
Recommended restaurant
Bacon Bros Present Shaka Bros, Oxford Terrace, Christchurch. It’s a hamburger joint with a good choice of burgers for all. The service is friendly and professional.
The photos
Me overlooking the ruins of a building in central Christchurch:
I don’t know whether the building was a victim of the quake. It seems likely. Currently there’s a water-filled hole in the ground with the building’s supporting structure emerging to provide roosting places for the birds. The site is fenced off, with viewing points for those who want to see what’s behind the high fence.
Two seagulls enjoy the quiet:
A pigeon surveys the city from the top of a concrete pillar:
A block away, Christchurch’s heritage tram click-clacks through a picturesque street of restaurants and shops:
A junction of the tram line, with people waiting at the tram stop on the left (around the pillar, beyond the hanging clothes):
The lovely ChristChurch Cathedral, looking so pretty despite the damage from the earthquakes:
The cathedral was built between 1864 and 1904. It has suffered earthquake damage in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922, 2010, and the year of earthquakes: 2011.
The front face of the cathedral is currently open to the elements, due to damage during the February 2011 earthquake and subsequent shakes. This is the wall where the round rose window used to be:
The tower and spire used to be on the left of the main hall. The tower has been demolished after earthquake damage and search-and-rescue efforts:
Wikipedia shows how the church looked in 2006. This is what’s left of the spire now:
A forlorn piece of the cathedral lies on the paving:
But life goes on. Reconstruction of the cathedral is under way. Bringing back the bells:
Meanwhile, the people of Christchurch get on with it:
Other buildings are still under repair too:
The Avon River / Ōtākaro runs through the city:
People stroll the streets and ride the tram:
Down in the port of Lyttelton, iron bands hold earthquake damage at bay:
Dire warnings of danger protect the unwary:
An atmospheric shot from a tidal beach on the Christchurch peninsula:
That’s all for today, folks.