Christchurch, NZ--the Red Zone-and a city slowly healing.

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Christchurch NZ has been been through alot the last year, over 700 quakes, 2 severe, loss of nearly 200 peoples lives and many billions of dollars in damage. The second largest city in the country, and the business and tourism hub of the South Island, has ground to a halt in many respects. the CBD, central business district-downtown- is completely inside the 'Red Zone', uninhabitable, over a new fault and unstable. Over 700 buildings are or will be demolished, including many of the 'skyscrapers' ,cafes, and all the major hotels and banks. Although many look fine, they are not. its a very very eerie feeling to walk along the 'red zone' fence for many, many blocks, staring into an empty and quiet city, seeing no one there, and noticing a tall glass tower leaning ever so slightly-and then another -and another. Nature has already begun the reclamation, grass growing in the street, the dust everywhere. The red zone is sort of an odd tourist attraction, people gathering at the wall, staring at it like it was a movie set. There are even bus tours....But many died here, and in a small country the impact was intense. Ive been enjoying Christchurch for many years -coming every other year or so for my employer. Its one of my favorite cities in the world, and I had a hard time seeing it like this. But its coming back, slowly. Theres still lots to do around the city outside the Red Zone, the park, the gardens, museums and the beaches-so if your travels take you to NZ, dont bypass Christchurch-help it come back! There are open hostels, guesthouses, Malls and transport so for travelers dont stay away.....

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Photos

which is not much...
one of many homemade signs in christchurch, posted on fences and walls, this one urging the govt to preserve the few remaining historic buildings

Catherdral Square-happier times
I took this 3 weeks before the quake -when the city drew thousands every weekend for festivals, street markets and a trip to the beach. It will be good to see it like this again one day.

Jan 2011/Cathedral Square
in a few weeks the beautifull Cathedral would be blocks and dust. I pray that it will be rebuilt someday.

empty and eerie
the rubble gone, the CDB lies vacant, oddly quiet but seemingly Ok. but if you look close the buildings are leaning, displaced. they will all likely come down with the wrecking ball.

like zombie land...
I felt a bit like a zombie, this city Ive been so fond of visiting over the last 10 years, nearly deserted on what woudve been a lovely Christchurch evening.

no one home.
One of the many nice old homes in the central city, condemned for demolition as the CBD faces the buldozers.

duck in the rubble
this once was a busy tree -lined street Id walked many times, now a rubble pile and a mallard seemingly at home, perhaps waiting for nature to reclaim the city?

The Wall
shipping containers line the beach road to malibu- like Sumner, in case the cliffs should fall again....

sunday red zone walk.
locals and tourists alike stare into the red zone , the same view at nearly every street.

unbroken
a restarant window, amazingly unbroken, reflects the empty streets, and the 'clear' marks left by a US search/rescue team

Red Zone tours
open to those who live here, and those who need closure after the loss of loved ones, the Red Zone awaits-the past paragraph tells the story.

Red Zone wall
the CDB, almost entirely in the Red Zone, awaits demolition, hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs will go with it-we all can only watch from this wall.

slowly back to life....
on a sunday afternoon, people are walking in the city again, where they can, ready to rebuild their city.

cone art
as in any disaster, people cope by being creative, humoous signs etc-here students make art from the thousands and thousands of traffic cones in Christchurch.

container mall
kiwis are good improvisers, hence the 'container mall' shipping containers as shops and cafes. Gets the local economy at least functioning again-kinda cool too.