Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Christchurch Day 10

I made eggs and toast for Phil and me for breakfast. I worked more on the blog> Julia decided to take us out touring at 10:30 and we rode about seeing some of the damage and then down to the pier at New Briton. A marvelous library lay at its feet and one walks through the library to get to the pier.
Phil and Julia at New Birghton Pier Library

The views were spectacular.
Brighton Beach

After spending some time enjoying the sounds of the surf and the view, we headed out to Scarborough at the South end of the harbour. Again massive rock slides and collapses. We had coffees at a lovely little café at the end of the beach before heading back into town. Julia let us out at the edge of North Hadley Park where we looked unsuccessfully for a cache near a hospital.

We had better luck walking further along the Avon River near the botanical gardens.
Avon Boat House

I directed us to the wrong bridge at first for finding the cache, but then succeeded. Several of the features in the park were roped off due to damage but on the whole the parks were lovely. Many of the cedars and redwoods were quite massive.
Giant Sequoia

We had coffee and shared a sandwich in the café in the garden before walking back. We had to skirt the CBD and were faced at every turn with collapsed brick walls and destruction.
Damaged Hotel Grand Chancellor CBD

We walked past Alison's office at Christchurch Polytechnic and loved the sculpture out front.
CPIT

Buildings bore either green signs indicating safety, yellow signs indicating owners only could go in or red signs which indicated the building was unsafe and would have to be demolished.
CBD Red Zone

We got back to the flat just after Julia. I worked a bit more on the blog. I read my email to see that the vote against Schrum was 70 to 40 so it passed. Not good for SU. Julia and Phil went out for fish and chips and I made a salad which we ate for dinner. Phil went to bed ahead of me and I packed before going to sleep about 10:30. I woke up nearly hourly, but missed the 34 earthquake that Julia felt because she didn’t go to bed at all!

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