The Strange Place I Call Home

This post comes with a warning.....it is heavily laden with photos!

Yesterday was the first time since February 22nd that the public were allowed entry on foot into the heart of the CBD.  Although the walk came with the warning that you may be seriously injured or indeed die, in the event of a large earthquake, we felt compelled to see for ourselves.  Armed with passports for the kids, as everyone entering needed to carry ID in case of disaster, we entered the red zone.

It is a strange thing to see streets that should be teaming with Christmas shoppers, deserted.  The buildings either boarded up or missing altogether and the streets littered with rubble.

We quickly walk past the large BNZ building that is earmarked for demolition soon because it is unsafe.

We follow the trail of mesh fencing that leads us to cathedral square, which is our final destination.

Nothing can quite prepare us for the site of our most famous landmark in such a terrible and precarious state.  We are all very aware that this is probably the last time we will see this great building again because it looks doubtful whether it can be saved.

As we follow the trail back to safety, this caught my daughters eye.....

"Summer Sale...Extended until the end of the week".  Nothing has changed here since 22 February

The council have made an effort though, and have hung Christmas decorations in the shattered streets.

As we round the corner we enter the safe zone again.  The first shop we see has it's annual Christmas display up.  The same display that I bought my 7 year old to see this time last year.  We had parked in a high rise parking building and my son asked  "what happens if there is an earthquake".  This was after earthquake number one.  I told him there would not be another one.....famous last words!

Just around the corner from the above devistation is this .  The whole block of shops has been demolished in city mall.  A lot of them fell down and the rest could not be saved.  They have constructed this mall out of shipping containers as a temporary solution.  I rather like it.  The atmosphere with the boutique shops and cafes is lovely on a sunny day.