Day 46: Discovering Christchurch

So today we said farewell to Oscar the Van after giving him a clean up, filling up with diesel and gas etc.  I have to say it was an emotional moment!  Once we were signed off with Wilderness we took a taxi, driven by Kurdish refugee Naramani.  Naramani told us that he hasn't seen his parents in over twenty years and described the situation in his home country.  We complain, often bitterly, about our politicians and the issues in our country, but we are not beaten or murdered for our beliefs.

Naramani drove us to our hotel 'Chateau in the Park' and we checked in.  The hotel is in mid-refurbishment and may be trying to lose its 'Camelot' theme.  Our room is comfortable and will do us nicely for the night.  After dumping our bags we walked through Hagley Park to the I-Site and picked up tickets for the shuttle bus to the Gondola just south of the city.  There wasn't going to be a view because it was an overcast day and the cloud was low but we could see for a reasonable distance back down to Christchurch and, as the gondola rose up the hill, we had quite a clear view of Lyttleton Harbour at the other side of the volcano rim.

Apparently both Scott and Shackleton began their expeditions from here.  We didn't stay too long at the top of the gondola.  If the weather had been better it would have been good to do the Crater Rim Walk but not today.

Once back in Christchurch centre we hopped on one of the tram tours.  The driver and conductor looked to be well into retirement but obviously loved their work and enjoyed passing on their knowledge about Christchurch to their passengers.

We hopped off the tram at one of the regeneration sites, the Re:Start Mall.  This is a tourist attraction because it consists of small, independent businesses housed in shipping containers.  It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement but I believe there are some moves to keep it as it has become a focus for visitors.

From there we followed the tramlines to view the 'Quake City' exhibition.  This was a fascinating and educational exhibit which gave the historical background to the major quakes which have affected Christchurch, but looked in particular at the most recent one in 2011, through the impact on the local people and businesses; the geology behind the liquefaction and destruction of buildings, rockfalls etc; the response of the emergency services from around the world; the ingenuity of fund-raising schemes including 'Aftershock Beer' (which had increased in potency due to the earthquake disrupting the fermentation process and was sold in aid of quake victims); the aftersocks; the sale on ebay of a rock which fell through the roof of a house etc.

Finally the display focused on the plans to redevelop the CBD.  There will be a limit on the height of buildings which must also be built to earthquake specs.  There will be a new convention centre; a memorial area around the River Avon; public spaces; art and sports venues.  Scott's statue fell over and was damaged in the quake and formed a focus at the beginning of the exhibition.

It was moving to hear personal recollections of the day of the quake, in particular from a mother who was caught in the mud in the liquefaction which occurred in her neighbourhood and then walked in to the city to find her daughter at school.  She met people in shock walking out of the centre, covered in dust, telling her that buildings had come down, increasing her fear further.  When she arrived at Hagley Park, her daughter and the other children from the school were playing games in the park, kept occupied by their teachers.  Her relief was our relief.

Out of the exhibition we walked back through the CBD noting the demolition work going on over a vast area.  It was good to reach Hagley Park and the Botanical Gardens and gain some relief and tranquillity from the noise, sights and smell.  There are some incredible trees in the park which filtered the late afternoon sun and made the walk most enjoyable.  The art installations add to the enjoyment too.

Back at the hotel, we bathed and then went down for dinner in the restaurant, which was delicious and pleasurable (apart from the obnoxious prat at the next table!)  I drank my final glass of pinot gris, a Torlesse from the Marlborough District, to go with my chicken kebabs in a peanut satay sauce, whilst Tony opted for the blue cod and chips once more, then we both followed up with apple fritters.

So now we are packed, the taxi is booked for the morning and now to sleep in a proper bed before we head to the final leg of our adventure in Singapore with Cary and Yu-Yen!