Hallo,
I have left the South Island after visiting Christchurch. Actually I didn't want to put an extra post for Christchurch. But it was such an interesting and weird experience, that I decided to do one post for Christchurch only. The sight of the city Christchurch is the strangest sight I have ever seen in a city in a rich country. Christchurch had to suffer two very strong earthquakes (one in 2010 and one in 2011) which left the city crumbled into a heap. There is really literally nearly nothing left still. There are nearly no buildings, empty slots big as football fields (where the leftovers of the buildings have been removed, but rebuilding has not started yet) and still buildings which have been untouched since the earthquakes. Nearly no houses, no shops, no restaurants, no...nothing... They have set up a few containers with shops and cafés but that's it. No companies, no business, no traffic, no traffic jams, no busses, no pedestrians...except tourists and a few ones working for those container-cafés or container-shops....and construction workers, working on the new building sites trying hard to rebuild the city somehow.
But Christchurch is now/still dormant or maybe "comatose" ??? :(
It was a strange feeling and the whole city had an indescribable eary athmosphere.
Talking to locals, they always freely started to talk about the earthquakes and their thoughts. Their stories and thoughts were really interesting... of how they live now, whats going on, what they plan to do etc. At least they really seem to make the best of it.
I have never been so "close" to an earthquakes aftermath as here.
The visit was worthwile, because of exactly this experience. You really can see and feel and understand what such an earthquake does to a city and a people.
It was incredibly impressing, maybe depressing, if not the locals were such a friendly, optimistic bunch. Made me contemplative and thoughtful!
Have a look at the pictures!
Regards, Renate
I have left the South Island after visiting Christchurch. Actually I didn't want to put an extra post for Christchurch. But it was such an interesting and weird experience, that I decided to do one post for Christchurch only. The sight of the city Christchurch is the strangest sight I have ever seen in a city in a rich country. Christchurch had to suffer two very strong earthquakes (one in 2010 and one in 2011) which left the city crumbled into a heap. There is really literally nearly nothing left still. There are nearly no buildings, empty slots big as football fields (where the leftovers of the buildings have been removed, but rebuilding has not started yet) and still buildings which have been untouched since the earthquakes. Nearly no houses, no shops, no restaurants, no...nothing... They have set up a few containers with shops and cafés but that's it. No companies, no business, no traffic, no traffic jams, no busses, no pedestrians...except tourists and a few ones working for those container-cafés or container-shops....and construction workers, working on the new building sites trying hard to rebuild the city somehow.
But Christchurch is now/still dormant or maybe "comatose" ??? :(
It was a strange feeling and the whole city had an indescribable eary athmosphere.
Talking to locals, they always freely started to talk about the earthquakes and their thoughts. Their stories and thoughts were really interesting... of how they live now, whats going on, what they plan to do etc. At least they really seem to make the best of it.
I have never been so "close" to an earthquakes aftermath as here.
The visit was worthwile, because of exactly this experience. You really can see and feel and understand what such an earthquake does to a city and a people.
It was incredibly impressing, maybe depressing, if not the locals were such a friendly, optimistic bunch. Made me contemplative and thoughtful!
Have a look at the pictures!
Regards, Renate
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