Christchurch: Life Goes On, and Sometimes It's Better

Bamboozle:  Asian fusion at its best

Here we are with Fran and Brian at the brilliantly named Bamboozle restaurant, the one that has had three different locations in the past year because of successive earthquakes.

While enjoying our meal, Fran talked about the concept of  post traumatic growth.  (As a psychologist, she is something of an expert on the topic, and was to speak at an upcoming conference, "Seismics in the City".)

The bright side of trauma?   Those who survive catastrophic events may find that their connections to community, family and friends are greatly enhanced, that their spiritual lives become more meaningful, and that they are empowered, as never before, to embrace change with calm confidence.    What else can go wrong?

Bamboozle seems to have heard the message loud and clear.

Christchurch: Signs of Life

New Zealanders are nothing if not resourceful, and they have coped fairly well with this national emergency -- all things considered.

After a year, however, Christchurch is getting tired of being Earthquake City.

Hope grows in a toppled wall.

At the Ellerslie Flower Show held in North Hagley Park, March 7 to 11, the Garden City embraced its horticultural heritage with displays that often seemed to have been inspired by the events of the last year. The results were surprisingly optimistic.  As an outsider, I didn't immediately see the symbolism in rubble mingled with moss and flowers, but when I did make the connection I saw it everywhere.

Christchurch: Sure to Rise

I particularly liked the little flower bed designed by the Edmond's Baking Powder company. Their iconic "sure to rise" sunburst label takes on new significance when the "sun" is a pile of reclaimed red bricks.

Re:START on Cashel Street

Nancy and Brian, ready to shop!

An eco-mall born of necessity

In the downtown core, pop-up shops in shipping containers have infused that area with new life.  These improvised stores look amazing with show-case windows, trendy signage, and simple-yet- effective landscaping.

This container mall is known as Re: START; its logo is a heart comprised of multi-coloured rectangles (the stacked and painted containers).

This coffee shop has a special Re: START blend

Christchurch: The Human Cost

It is worth noting that not just infrastructure and architecture have been shattered by the seismic events of the past year.  People's lives have been turned upside down in so many ways:  

• Houses were destroyed by the quake and people were forced to find new accommodation
• Families living in "intact" dwellings were without power, water, sewers....
• Many school and university buildings were closed for several months forcing students into new locations, even private homes
• Businesses were destroyed, or forced to close down while damage was assessed.  Employees lost jobs.
• Many public institutions (art galleries, museums, public libraries, theatres)  have had to suspend or curtail operations.  
• Those people whose lives are relatively OK say that Christchurch is no longer a fun place to live.  If they can, they move away.  Our friend Fran observed that the city now has plenty of  "parking lots " but no reasons to use them.  The "destinations" have been destroyed.

I cannot imagine living with so much stress on a daily basis, still not knowing if the worst is yet to come. In this year of earthquakes, the residents of Christchurch have experienced over 1000 aftershocks. 

The Sumner Library:  closed.   A few other branch libraries provide service. 

Christchurch: Shaking City

We were in Christchurch to visit with our friends Brian and Fran, but we couldn't help being interested in the current state of this beautiful city (pop. 350,000) with its elegant old buildings, gardens and parks.  When we arrived, it had been slightly over a year since the last big quake and the papers were still full of stories.

Brian and Fran were lucky.  Their wooden house had sustained only $150,000 damage in the two major quakes.  The chimney collapsed (along with brick chimneys all over the city), the floor had buckled and the house is no longer sitting level on its foundation, but it is livable.  They know that the land under their property did not turn to liquid during the quakes, so restoration will not be so problematic and will happen more quickly. Their private insurance will fund the job, with help from government earthquake insurance.

Brick walls crumble....news photo

o)

A retaining wall of containers.

Other families have not been so fortunate.  Whole neighbourhoods (up to 10,000 houses) have been abandoned because the homes are damaged and on land that will never provide a secure building foundation.

 On our way to a restaurant that is in its third location because two earlier sites were destroyed, we passed abandoned, darkened communities of expensive cliff-side homes.  These houses are shattered, empty, and most of them cannot be restored. The hillsides on which they stand are shored up with retaining walls built of shipping containers piled one on top of the other.

The full impact of the September 2010 and February 2011 quakes is most clearly seen in the downtown. The sky bristles with cranes which are part of a careful de-construction of buildings that have been identified as uninhabitable. One thousand buildings have been destroyed so far and another 800 are marked for demolition. (This number increases with every aftershock, as borderline buildings develop more severe problems and must be red-stickered.)

Dismantling a parking garage piece by piece

Cranes at work

A new building comes down.

The famous cathedral -- to be demolished.

Occasionally one sees scaffold around a building.  This is a good sign indicating that renovation is underway.

This church made the cut.

Akaroa to Christchurch

Cosy cafe, with good coffee and amazing carrot cake

Akaroa was not at its sunny best as we waited around for our bus to Christchurch.  Still wearing rain gear, and in need of cheer, we headed off for a coffee and a sweet treat.

Michelle, Alicia, and Margaret

At the bus shelter we happened upon  Michelle, Alicia and Margaret, whom we had last seen at the Akaroa lookout.  They were picking up supplies, and staying at a B and B in town for the night.   They noted that I did not look like a Kiwi tramper because "no respectable Kiwi would wear rain pants!"  Bare legs and shorts was the way to go, regardless of the weather.  But Michelle and Alicia looked really cold.  Margaret had already succumbed to the lure of long pants--she was not suffering for the sake of image. I intended to wear my rain pants all the way to Christchurch.

When the tiny bus finally arrived, we discovered that it was packed with friendly folk and one dog that snuggled up to my animal-averse husband.  The dog's owners had been in Akaroa to oversee the replacement of their chimney and fireplace, destroyed in the February 2011 earthquake.  We learned that their son, a student at Canterbury U, was living in a flat that was condemned ("red-stickered"), and that the bus driver had moved to his batch (holiday home) in Akaroa because his Christchurch home had been totalled.

One of many Christchurch parks

  Every scrap of portable fence must be in Christchurch

An hour later we were gazing at the reality that is now Christchurch.  There was road construction everywhere because so many streets had buckled and twisted during the quake and the aftershocks.  Familiar landmarks had disappeared, and streets had been closed throughout the downtown so that a simple drive to the airport was an obstacle course that took much longer than expected, but finally we made it back into midtown and our friends' house on College Avenue.  It looked to be in good shape, but we knew it to have interior damage. Things aren't always what they seem in Christchurch.

The Haig house.

Banks Peninsula: Lotsa Loos

Outside toilets at our various Banks Peninsula lodges and along the track show a high degree of creativity!

No boring Porta-Potties here -- just a wealth of WC whimsy.

My favourite, the Stony Bay loo -- so romantic!

  This loo with a view overlooks the seal cove

A trailside toilet with atmosphere.

The outdoor toilet seems to bring out the best in Kiwi ingenuity. After the horrendous earthquake that devastated Christchurch in February 2011, much of the city was without plumbing.  Some families resorted to the creation of backyard biffies that were interesting enough to be featured on a website dedicated to designer dunnies.  Toilet humour at its best.

Banks Peninsula: Otanerito and Beyond

Otanerito Cottage is very picturesque, situated in the middle of an impressive flower garden full of hydrangeas, dahlias, anemone and even roses. 

The entrance to Otanerito Cottage (with toi toi grasses) 

A truly splendid cabbage tree shades the house

There is a beach which is warm enough for swimming, and many of our fellow hikers had come prepared with swimming togs.  We were togless, but happy to sit on the veranda, read our books,  have cups of tea, and chat to whoever happened along.

Three oystercatchers on the beach

In the next-door paddock, we could see sheep being mustered by a rather impatient farmer. There were dogs barking, dogs herding, sheep bleating anxiously, and above all the booming voice of the guy in charge:  GET OVER HERE! GET OVER HERE!  We stood at the fence to see what was happening, but didn't dare risk coming any closer.  Whatever would he yell at nosey trampers?  There was great speculation, however, about what was going to happen to those poor sheep!

After dinner we discovered that our cottage was managed by Fiona Farrell, a New Zealand author who lives nearby.  She was not on the premises, but there was a fine selection of her books for our use.

Next day we headed from Otanerito past the sheep paddock and briefly watched as, one by one, the shorn lambs were released into the nearby field.  So that was it. Good.  These sheep were not going to be chops and roasts any time soon.

We are sure the water is pure, but what about the mug?

We took the track up to the Hinewae Reserve, a privately managed nature reserve for the conservation of native plants and animals.  The 10 km track passes by waterfalls, goes through a beech forest, and eventually reaches a summit (Purple Peak) at 600 metres.  We did this stretch of the walk in the rain, so the waterfalls and little streams were pretty, but the view at the top was non-existen

Then, it was downhill through bush, and eventually along a road that lead into Akaroa where we would catch the bus to Christchurch.

Our fabulous walk was complete.

Imagine this view on a sunny day.

Banks Peninsula: Stony Bay to Otanerito

The Otanerito cottage was our last overnight lodge, only 6 km from Stony Bay and reached by a track that offers waterfalls, reefs, sparkling water, cliffs, and historic sites in addition to the usual exotic (to us) foliage. 

Another sunny day!  We don't take these for granted.....

Sleepy Bay is where the Ngai Tahu overran the Ngati Mamoe in the 17 century. Nothing remains of the Ngati Mamoe settlement today, but one can appreciate that it was strategically situated on a promontory overlooking the water.

 At the end of the bay there is a "sea stack",  a remnant of a sea arch that collapsed in the 2010 earthquakes.

Another sea stack, Pompey's Pillar is a landmark for sailors and just off shore from our destination.

Otanerito cottage is situated near a sheep farm, so we received a fleecy welcome as we came into the valley.  

The sea stack that was once an arch.

Sheep stayed....

Otanerito Bay Cottage. 

Banks Peninsula: Stony Bay/ Fantasyland

We never did count all the different buildings that comprised the Stony Bay stop on the Banks Peninsula track.  In the main house with its wide verandah, there was a kitchen, lounge (with fireplace) and bunk rooms, but there were also an assortment of other buildings:  cabins for 2 with cooking facilities, separate outdoor toilets, two outdoor baths, an outdoor shower built right against a tree, a small shop where mealtime necessaries could be purchased, and even a museum.

The main house at Stony Bay.  The shop is in the trees, on the left.

Outdoor shower and wash house.

Jackie and Paul in the cosy lounge of the main house.

Inside the shower, the tree is gorwing!

 I am sure that the architect of this little domain was the same creative person who built the shelter and toilet back down the track.  Corrogated iron, reclaimed lumber, salvaged windows, bricks and stones all had their place in this eccentric collection of buildings.

Our tiny kitchen

We stayed in Pear Cottage -- fruit is on the roof.

The effect was completely charming.  Set in a garden of fruit trees, ponga ferns, large cabbage trees, and big hydrangea bushes, this sprawl of little houses and out buildings was old-fashioned and cosy. 

There actually were very few amenites, however.  No hot water in the cabins, and only candles for illumination in all the buildings.  The flush toilets were in the middle of the garden.

But somehow, with the sun shining warmly on this little, hidden community, it seemed almost magical, a fantasy world waiting to be explored.   I felt as if I had stepped into a fairy tale.

Rosie's little hobbit house..... 

A fairy tale mushroom that screams "don't eat me!"

Banks Peninsula: Flea Bay to Stony Bay

Lucky us.  Glorious weather guaranteed great views as we set out from Flea Bay.  This is not a long walk  -- only 8 km-- and it can be covered in 2-4 hours, but there is plenty to look at along the way.  We had no need to rush.


Beyond the mouth of Flea Bay we climbed up to the bluff skirting the bay and looked across to cliffs, sea birds, sparkling water and blue sky.  There are warnings about not going to close to the edge especially in windy or wet conditions. We had perfect weather -- had we felt like taking chances. 

Setting out, and heading up the hill.....

Eventually, the path leads down to a shelter and to a little bay where sharp-eyed hikers might actually observe seals, and not just hear them as we did.  (It is hard to make out a shiny black seal in a cove of shiny black boulders.)

The nearby shelter was worth exploring.  It is built of recycled lumber and glass, and positioned against a huge rock; an equally whimsical outhouse is perched around the corner.  Someone clearly had a lot of fun designing these buildings.

What a lovely spot!

Looking back at the shelter and loo ( upper left).

Heading down to the Seal Cave and shelter

Cabbage trees with glimpses of gum trees in bloom. 

Further along the cliff, we could have seen muttonbirds, but didn't.  The outlook near their nesting spot was spectacular nevertheless. As we climbed down towards Stony Bay we noted that grasses gave way to bush -- lots of scrubby manuka, cabbage trees, ponga  ferns, and even the occasional red-blooming gum tree.

The main bulding at Stony Bay is just one of many marvellous creations..

In brilliant sunshine, we arrived at the most eccentric of overnight spots, Stony Bay.  I felt as if we had stepped onto a movie set:  Arkansas in Akaroa.

..