Day 2 A whirl round Christchurch!
I slept well in my bed and was awake by 8.30. After tea drinking and checking emails etc I dashed out around 10am. I had decided to walk to the nearest tram stop from my ‘motel'(really do feel like I’m in a film. Got on the tram and went round twice before i got off to pick up the shuttle bus to the gondola ( ski lift thing) up the top of Port Hills. It was a real eye-opener. You hear about the earthquake 5 years ago yesterday and you forget what these people had to deal with. The smaller quakes started the Sept before in the out of town areas but the Feb one demolished most of the centre of the town. The Cathedral of course but many
businesses and shops. Everywhere there is building going on. I
was most impressed by the Re start Malls – shops and businesses in shipping containers shops, cafes and even banks – I saw one today locked up with padlocks! I went their tonight to use an ATM and had my evening meal with two young men from USA who were walking round NZ getting lifts into towns to stock up on food etc. We had souvlaki together – wonderful- from a container. I had just visited the cardboard cathedral or transitional cathedral as it is known. It is there while they decide if they are going to knock down and rebuild the original in Cathedral Square. As with Colwyn Bay pier there are those who want to keep the old one and restore it and others who would like it knocked down. Must go to sleep now as earlyish start to meet the Stray Travel bus in the morning. I am worried about my route but no doubt things will be sorted tomorrow!
Freejan