Re:Start

I'd heard there wasn't a huge amount to do in Christchurch, so I had found a couple of things I wanted to check out here and today was my day for doing so.

So I left the hostel knowing which direction I wanted to go in and that I'd probably come across some road closures along the way. Luckily the parts of the city I had to traverse are in a roughly grid-like pattern so I could just skip down a couple streets and along. I'd seen some of the earthquake damage on my bus journeys to and out of the city in the past few days, and since Edinburgh's a bit of a mess with all the tramworks at the moment, it didn't really strike me as much. When you stumble across an impassable perimeter around the bulk of a major city's commercial zone which is structurally unsound in its entirety and effectively rubble in places, though, it's a bit different.

I think the reason I didn't like Christchurch when I arrived briefly on Friday was because a) it was raining and I was shattered and b) it seemed a bit desolate and unwelcoming. That was no doubt due to the fact that the first thing I notice in a city is the business of the centre, which is usually where the bus/train drops you off. Obviously that's not the case here and it just seemed like there was no one around. Having found the main tourist hub around Hagley Park and the Museum of Canterbury this morning, though, and seeing not just the devastation but also signs of compassion and resilience of the inhabitants I completely disregarded my first impression.

Within the museum at the moment is an exhibition about the earthquakes, housing artifacts from prominent buildings (which had fallen off roofs etc and will be replaced when the buildings have been stabilised) and videos and soundclips from residents and emergency services. It's pretty harrowing stuff really, and it's been said I have a heart of stone! I didn't really want to make a big deal out of the situation, like when you don't want to mention a recent ex when counselling a friend through a break-up, but you can't really ignore it.

You also see quite a few desserted houses dotted around the residential zones, with signs in red stating you can't go into them due to earthquake damage. I can't even begin to imagine how horrible it would be to be told you can't access your property and to just have to turn and go somewhere else, without knowing for how long...

So after spending a couple hours in the museum, which in addition to that exhibition is really pretty good (and admission by donation!) I headed to the Cashel Mall for some window shopping and coffee. The Cashel Mall is a small shopping district located on the edge of the red zone composed of retail outlets housed in brightly coloured shipping containers. The shops are pretty much all expensive clothes/gifts boutiques and I didn't actually buy anything, despite pretty much wanting everything.

I was pretty hungry by this point and aware that my time was running out for getting some kumara chips (like yam or sweet potato chips), so I headed to the tourist information again. I asked the lovely old man behind the desk where I could find some and he gave me a sly grin and told me that was possibly the best question he'd ever been asked. He had a think and phoned up somewhere to check and then drew me a map of where I needed to go. Pretty much the best customer service ever. A relatively quick walk in the sunshine later I was being served a burger and kumara chips by a guy from East Calder at less than the menu-stated price.

All in all, then, I am now a fan of Christchurch, have had my fill of kumara chips, have my daytrip to Akaroa booked for tomorrow and picnic lunch in the fridge, and have my car to the airport bus exchange sorted for Wednesday.

Things in New Zealand just seem to work.