October 5, Christchurch, New Zealand

 We leave New Zealand this afternoon to fly to Sydney.  We've had 17 wonderful days here  but are looking forward to Australian warmth, since there's been a cold snap here the last couple of days (cold= low 50's but quite windy).
 Christchurch is New Zealand's third largest city, after Auckland and Wellington, with a population a little less than 350,000.  (Total New Zealand population is about 4.5 million)

The city suffered a series of devastating earthquakes beginning in September, 2010 and continuing until the largest quake (6.9 on the Richter scale), on Feb 22, 2011. Many buildings were already weakened by the preceding quakes, and the Feb quake, which took 185 lives, was the final blow for many of them.  The re-building process is slow but ongoing, and has involved substantial public input in the planning. In all, over 70% of the buildings in the city center will have to be torn down or rebuilt, so there are lots of cranes, detours and empty lots around the city.

 The citizens seem to have responded with remarkable spirit.  Large shipping containers were opened for shopping and office space.  They are still in use for a series of shops and eateries (more as a curiosity than as now needed).  Christchurch cathedral was heavily damaged.  One of the church staff contacted a Japanese architect who specializes in disaster recovery building, and the "Cardboard Cathedral", built primarily with large treated cardboard shipping tubes, was constructed.  It seats 700 persons, was built to last 50 years, and exceeds earthquake building standards by 130%.  When the original cathedral is reconstructed the cardboard ediface will become a parish church.
 There are several memorials to those who died in the quake.  One very moving one is 185 white painted chairs, all different to represent the individual victims, including a high chair and an infant seat.


 The city is really quite beautiful, in spite of all the damage and construction activity.  The Avon River winds all through the city center, with punting on the river and a lot of activity in the city square - chess players, an IceFest going on for several weeks featuring a lot of exhibits about Antarctica and ice carving, and lots of people out and about.