Opened in February 2017 the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial pays respects to the 185 people who died in the 2011 earthquake.The memorial wall for victims of the 2011 earthquake is located on the river in the centre of Christchurch.
We took a couple of days to explore the centre of Christchurch. It is certainly a unique city in that due to the devastating earthquakes it experienced between 2010 and 2012, this 162 year old city has a very modern feel. It is the oldest city in New Zealand, however due to the earthquakes, the central business district is full of new buildings, buildings under construction, and parking lots and parks where construction has not started yet.
The ‘Chalice’ was erected in 2001 beside the Christchurch Cathedral. It now stands in stark contrast beside the damaged church.The City planners have seized the opportunity to improve many of the services they provide to the public. This new building complex brings together Courts, Corrections, Police, EMS, Fire, and Civil Defence.The new City bird should be the crane. They are everywhere in the City. This new municipal library is going up beside Cathedral Square.One of the most reassuring sights as we walked around the city centre was the small businesses still at work. The people were very friendly and seemed to take the risk of another quake in stride.It was great to hear the sounds of the tram running along the roads of the downtown. A great idea for a tour of the rebuilding.It was not all earthquake and reconstruction. It was great to see many of the old memorials and statues survived. The Bridge of Remembrance is a beautiful feature along the Avon River.Another great site to visit was the Air Force Museum. They have done an excellent job of highlighting the Air Force’s history and the people behind it.For you fans of the TV series MASH it is worth doing the behind the scenes tour and seeing one of the helicopters used to transport injured troops in the Korean War.I just loved the way this Sopwith Camel had been displayed.
We were in New Zealand when the big quake struck in February, 2011. Fortunately we were safely on the north island and were able to view the response via local television. The take away for me was how well organized their civil defence was and how well the public reacted and worked together. 7 years later that positive can do attitude is still very much in evidence. These are good people and should be remembered for that reason. On that note I will leave you with a couple of shots from the beautiful Christchurch Botanic Gardens and a poignant public art work commemorating those who died in 2011.
Mate, Excellent story and great post! Really. Damn your getting good
Cheers and kind regards,
Bryce Sherman
On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 3:49 PM, Peter & Karen Pecksen wrote:
> peterpecksen posted: ” We took a couple of days to explore the centre of > Christchurch. It is certainly a unique city in that due to the devastating > earthquakes it experienced between 2010 and 2012, this 162 year old city > has a very modern feel. It is the oldest city in New ” >
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