Christchurch CBD yesterday
#1
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.
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.
Last edited by Persephone; Sep 18th 2011 at 1:36 am.
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2010
Location: Wanganui, New Zealand
Posts: 240
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.
P.S. Wanganui has been OK so for though.
#3
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.
P.S. Wanganui has been OK so for though.
#8
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2010
Location: Wanganui, New Zealand
Posts: 240
Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
Coffee and cake, no dreadlocks required !
#9
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.
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.
Last edited by luvwelly; Oct 14th 2011 at 9:28 am.
#11
Re: Christchurch CBD yesterday
The roof! Things are happening and stuff.
BBC news:
BBC news:
The roof of the Grand Chancellor Hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand, which was damaged in an earthquake, will be removed on Monday, beginning the biggest demolition project in the city's history. The demolition is expected to be complete by April 2012
#12
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!
#14
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.