Christchurch: a city building on hope

Memories not forgotten

Stories forever told

Rising up through rubble

A new city will unfold

As the big shiny tour bus slowly rolled into Christchurch’s CBD, I strained to get a proper glimpse of this historic city I had heard so much about. Having just spent a wonderful year exploring Australia, I was now on a North to South Island tour of New Zealand to help me decide where I wanted to live. The bus was passing through Christchurch on its way to Queenstown, so my first taste of the city would be fleeting.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake had shaken the city in September 2010 causing widespread damage to infrastructure and housing across the region, as well as disrupting many businesses. Even with the hardships and aftershocks that followed, the Canterbury people were relieved that no one had died and slowly began to adjust their lives and rebuild their city. Then, five months later in February 2011, another large earthquake hit, damaging or destroying 170,000 buildings and killing 185 people from over 20 countries, triggering the largest emergency response operation ever seen in New Zealand.

This earthquake had a smaller magnitude (than the September 2010 quake) of 6.3, but the damage caused was far worse due to a number of reasons, including its epicentre being closer to Christchurch and shallower, many buildings already being weakened by the previous 2010 quake and following aftershocks, and the fact that the quake occurred on a weekday lunchtime when the CBD was very busy.

A national state of emergency was in place for 10 weeks as emergency services, soldiers, engineers, search dogs and armies of volunteers worked to find and rescue those missing, make buildings safe and restore back to the city essential services. Seventy percent of the CBD’s buildings had to to be demolished and thousands of people were left homeless; and even today many residents are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt or repaired after insurance settlement delays. I was on travels in South America when I first heard about the 2011 earthquake the day it happened, and Christchurch quickly became the centre of world attention. Since then, I’d heard stories saying there was nothing much left in the centre now – much of the city was a building site, all bricks, rubble and dust.

The bus came to a stop near the Bridge of Remembrance and I, with two dozen other tourists, stumbled out into the hazy afternoon sun. Cautiously navigating my way around the scaffolding and wire fencing that surrounded the bridge, I headed towards some small bright buildings behind it. Getting closer I saw they were little shipping containers, fitted neatly together like lego blocks, each painted in its own vibrant colour. Relaxed shoppers browsed the contents of the quirky containers or sat at one of the many little picnic benches outside in the sun under big umbrellas eating, drinking and chatting. This was the Christchurch Re:START mall, which I later learnt was established to rehouse affected businesses following the earthquake and encourage people back into the centre of the city – a positive space amongst all the devastation.

The Pod Oasis – created as an award-winning garden by charitable trust Greening the Rubble

The vibrant colours and different shapes make the Re:START mall a main attraction in Christchurch

That night some of the tour group headed out to sample the nightlife and I was excited to see how much life and energy was packed into the little cocktail bars up and down Victoria Street. This wasn’t a downtrodden, derelict city as I had imagined. It was abuzz with the evening energy of hundreds of people, out enjoying their night under the stars. It was very much a city in a state of motion, and a new stage of life – which felt intriguing and exciting, and different to anything I had experienced before. I left Christchurch the next morning sound in the knowledge that there was far more to explore, and certain I needed to return.

Within weeks of arriving back in the city I had found work and a place to live, and eased into a steady routine. I didn’t have a car yet so was reliant on bus, and wasn’t familiar with how to get around the city, which I was initially to find a challenge. One day, after leaving work in the CBD I decided to walk a different route to the makeshift bus station (comprised of a few bus shelters, portacom office and waiting room) that was in use whilst a new one was being built, and soon realised with mild panic that I was hopelessly lost.

Every corner looked strange and unfamiliar, and there were no landmarks I recognised nor any high storey buildings I could use to work out where I was. Vacant lot after vacant lot passed me by as I wandered through the city’s sprawling gridded streets, seeing building sites with cranes and diggers on some corners and dark, damaged buildings on others, boarded up, waiting to be demolished. After a while I was exhausted trying to find either a bus shelter or sign, and felt huge relief when I finally saw a bus go by a few roads down which I promptly ran after, eventually finding my way back to the bus station!

Much of the city has been demolished

It also took time getting used to the earthquakes. Before arriving in New Zealand, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about them, coming from a part of the world where there aren’t any and never having experienced one myself. It was unsettling to think that at any time, in any area of New Zealand there could be an earthquake of any size, and I had now seen some of the devastation they had caused, bringing large heritage buildings down that had stood for many years and destroying the image of the old city.

Around 3am on the first weekend in my new home, I experienced my first earthquake. My new housemates had gone away for the weekend and I was home alone. I woke in the dark to the bed shaking, a long, low rumbling sound and the wardrobe doors wildly flapping and banging! Before I had time to register what was happening, it was all over. Heart racing and short of breath I quickly googled Geonet to see the size of the quake. I couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night – and it remained like that for a few earthquakes afterwards! But as I made friends in the city, the experience united us, as you knew that when you were suddenly woken in the early hours by that low rumbling shudder, all across the city many others would also be going through it, and often conversation at work the next day would begin with ‘did you feel that shake last night?’.

Containers helping to preserve the remaining facade of a demolished building

As the months went by I got used to the banging of building work echoing around the city on my way to and from work. The loud thud, thud, thud of the pile driver became a familiar sound, and was the first thing I’d hear when stepping off the bus in the CBD each morning. It had a strong defiant chime, as if to say, this city will not be beaten – a sound that signified new beginnings, growth, and progress. On my way back in the evenings the noisy work would cease for the day and the city would fall silent, except for the low growl of workmen’s vans, rattling past me on the gravel streets as they headed home.

For me there was a feeling in the air that everyone living and working in the city was united in some way, as they all had the same goal, to contribute to rebuilding Christchurch. Everyone had a part to play, as even those who weren’t directly involved in the construction process were still contributing to the day-to-day running of the city services. It felt really positive.

Workmen walking home through the city

Traffic cones and cordons were a regular sight all over the city and would often change position overnight, much to the dismay of early morning drivers as they tried to navigate around them on the way to work. Diversions would confuse even those drivers most familiar with the city and cars heading the wrong way down one-way streets were all too common. I became used to the sight of rubble and roadblocks and on nights out with friends we’d cheerily stumble over potholes and pebbles in our high heels, and sometimes pass merry tourists posing with traffic cones for photos, under the dark night sky.

The city continued to slowly transform in front of my eyes as new buildings went up and old ones came down. The new bus station with its large folding roof shape, high ceilings and terracotta-coloured panels was finished and opened in my first year here, and the Bridge of Remembrance re-opened after being repaired and strengthened in my second year, on ANZAC Day. Some buildings quietly came down without much attention paid, whilst others attracted quite a crowd on demolition day, such as the old police building implosion in front of the council offices. Other buildings remained untouched, with decisions or settlements yet to be made.

Unfortunately, decisions have not been made about the central Cathedral and its future is still unknown

The Cardboard Cathedral, a symbol of hope and progress – built as a temporary replacement after the damage caused to the central Cathedral

The new Christchurch city bus station. On the right is one of four Wayfinding Towers, each placed at a strategic location around the city to help people find their way about

It was exciting to walk down a street and realise that you were one of the first to walk on that stretch of pavement with its clean shiny paving stones – a small piece of a brand new city. As buildings went up it was fascinating to see them take shape, and I’d often walk home wondering what they would look like when they were finished, searching their lines and angles for clues. Sometimes there would be an artist’s impression of the finished product displayed nearby and it wasn’t hard to envision how magnificent the city would look, once all of these new buildings of different designs had been completed.

Lunchtime by the river on the Terraces, part of the Avon River Precinct redevelopment

Almost two years since arriving and every day around me a new distinctive city continues to emerge. When the largest rebuild in New Zealand history is finished, Christchurch will have world-class facilities and some of the safest buildings in the world, using damage limiting structural systems and techniques such as base isolation – designed to prevent or minimise damage to buildings during an earthquake.

Construction has started on major projects such as the Avon River Precinct and a new Retail Precinct within the heart of the city, and planning and development is underway for a Convention Centre and Metro Sports Facility. The Southern Hemisphere’s largest adventure park being built in Christchurch’s Port Hills, is due to open in December 2016 and will offer more than 100 km of mountain bike routes, zip lines through the forest and rock climbing. Some of the businesses that left following the earthquake are returning and more will surely follow. It is a unique and exciting time in the city’s history for anyone to be part of.

Beautiful New Regent Street

Often said to be the most English city outside of England, this red double decker bus can be seen occasionally going past!

October 2016: fresh patterned artwork covering one area of the Re:START mall

Being a Garden City there is so much nature to enjoy, from the many colourful flower beds, sweet smelling rose garden and exotic plants in the Botanic Gardens to the tall majestic oak trees that line Hagley Park in the central city. Anytime of the year punters in traditional Edwardian attire can also be seen steering happy tourists along the tranquil Avon river that flows through Hagley Park, a feature I particularly loved, coming from England!

At weekends and on holidays I’ve loved going on adventures all around the South Island. There is so much to do nearby and within two hours you can ski, surf, whale watch, bungy jump, mountain bike, play golf, hot-air balloon and visit a range of different gardens, wineries and shops – it can be hard to choose what to do! The historic French settlement of Akaroa, located in an ancient volcano, is about an hour’s drive away and the natural hot springs mountain village Hanmer Springs is less than two hours. After deciding I wanted to learn to snowboard having never had the chance growing up in England, weekends this winter have often been spent up at Mount Hutt, at the foot of the Southern Alps less than 100 km away.

Punting on the Avon River

The rose garden

On top of Mount Hutt

Despite being New Zealand’s second largest city, Christchurch feels to me friendlier and more peaceful like a small town, with numerous attractions, such as museums, market stalls, festivals and food vans, all of which have kept me busy and entertained during my time here. It has been interesting to see the transitional projects and installations that are visible all around the city as well, many of which are the work of organisations such as Greening the Rubble which turns empty lots into ecological areas, and Gap Filler, which aims to temporarily energize vacant areas with creative and innovative projects.

Giant green armchairs created by Greening the Rubble

Temporary art display in Cathedral Square

The Dance-O-Mat, a coin operated dance floor that anyone can use, created by Gap Filler in response to the lack of dance spaces following the quake

To get dancing plug in any device with a headphone jack such as a phone, iPod or Mp3 player into the washing machine with $2 to activate the power

This garden by Greening the Rubble displays nine native trees that formed part of the original ecosystems of Central Christchurch

Street art is plentiful, and I’ve often spent a Sunday morning just wandering around the city admiring the colourful murals that now cover blank concrete walls and have brought colour, energy and life back to empty, cracked corners.

In the foreground are some of the many traffic sheep that line the city, acting as safety barriers, seating and colourful art sculptures

Even the old broken buildings with their derelict structures that are scattered through the city offer fascination to the eye that can appreciate the sad beauty of abandoned places. Here are buildings that are often rich in history, each with their own story to tell.

It has been challenging living in a city where the day to day appearance is constantly changing before your eyes, and at any time without warning the ground might start moving beneath your feet. However, I think it’s an incredibly unique experience to live in or even visit such a resilient city that’s stubbornly rebuilding itself from the ground up and where its people have shown such strength, determination and aspirations for a better future.

Out of the devastation there has come hope and opportunity, and there is much to look forward to. Christchurch has boldly sent out a message to inspire the rest of the world – that it will not give up, and will not be beaten. I’ve have the chance to meet so many different people in my time here, each with their own experiences and stories, as well as making friends from all over the world. Although my time here is now nearing an end, this city will always hold many special memories for me, and I look forward to the day I return and see its amazing transformation finally complete.