Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Decided to go for a walk round the city centre cordon yesterday as I hadn't been there for 2-3months and I had nothing else to do. Some of the cordon fences have been moved further inwards so you can see a little bit more though not that much. However I was shocked to see how much demolition had taken place and there's still plenty more to do. Obviously I knew it was necessary but it's only when you see the emptiness that it really hits home how much has gone and how much rebuilding needs to take place. Very strange and very sobering to see that the streets that used to be busy and full of people are now flat empty spaces and eerily quiet. I always used to park at the bottom of Colombo street and walk up it to cathedral square but the street barely exists now, there's the odd building left but it's mainly just flat, open, empty space.

The visible bit of Cashel Street near the Bridge of Remembrance appears half empty. Big gaps on Manchester street as well. The Grand Chancellor looks just the same but I did read somewhere that they were going to start removing the roof very soon. The RC cathedral has had its dome removed and is propped up with containers and hay bales, it's full of cracks. Can't really see much of cathedral square or ChCh cathedral through the fencing. I don't know what they're planning on doing with the leaning high rises on Armagh Street.
There's still a large area in the centre from Oxford Terrace to Tuam St and Colombo to Madras Streets that you can't see at all yet and I suspect much of this will be gone very soon.

It's all very sad; the empty spaces are much more upsetting to see than the damaged buildings were, the scale of the rebuild becomes so much more clear when you see it for real. And I haven't even mentioned the eastern side of town or the amount of roads and pavements that will need repairing:(

Will try and remember to put some pictures up later.

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

It's just to hard isn't it ? We used to walk from Linwood to Hagley Park on roads around the cordon. We got to Hagley Park via Salsbury Street. On the way back we would call into the Beat Street cafe on Barbadoes. OK, we made the best of it I mean the city of Christchurch, of what was left anyway. In my heart I just knew it was, 'over.' Assisted by the fact of neither of us being able to get work whilst watching our savings dwindle. There was little point staying there and it was just going to have to be 'never mind' that 5 years planning to relocate to Christchurch had, unfortunately come to nought within 3 months.
P.S. Wanganui has been OK so for though.

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Good to hear that Wanganui is working for you:thumbup: Chch is ok, at least we're on the Western side so infrastructure is fine but it's going to take many years to get the city back to normal. I have work and a house so not complaining. Having not been near the cordon for so long it was quite a shock to see so much had gone.

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Some pictures

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

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Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Don’t hold your breath, went past today and they’d not started yet. Actually all they had done was erect another crane next to it.

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Never picked you out as a rasta Debs? :eek:

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Coffee and cake, no dreadlocks required !

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Distressing as you say. Great photos of a sad situation.:(

Think I prefer the space to those piles of rubble ones though. Does that woman in navy blue with her carrier bag walk past that mess as part of her daily routine? Looks like a war zone.

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

:( that's really sad...magic wand would be a good thing..

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

The roof! Things are happening and stuff.

BBC news:

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

At last it will start to feel like the demolition is in progress. Glad to get rid of the tilting ugly monstrosity!

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

Yep, years of work to do :thumbup:.

Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
 

The Leaning Tower of Christchurch will be no more ! I used to be able to see that from an upstairs window of our house in Christchurch.