Rare Colour

Cerotostigma plumbaginoides

A bush that is usually cut back by frost before its leaves turn, but in this strange season has been able to display its true colours. It was fair glowing in the low light. Earlier in the season it is covered with delicate blue flowers.

I took my daughter home today. It was lovely having her and seemed too soon, but she has work tomorrow. The first thing she noticed on arriving home was that the big crack in her house has widened since she left. It must have been that 5.5 shake two days ago.

While it was misty and dark here, Christchurch was warm and sunny. All the better to see the heaps of rubble where favourite shops used to be, or disturbingly clear sites. I find driving in Christchurch difficult. The traffic seems chaotic in busy parts. Many streets have sudden, unexpected humps and holes, which demand my attention, but I'm continually distracted by yet another bomb site. The tears that well up don't help either. I can't get used to seeing huge steel and wire barriers across the streets leading to the city's centre.

If there is a shortage of shipping containers in your region I can tell you where they have gone- to Christchurch. They are being used to build walls between streets and barely standing brick ruins, and in some cases, to hold the ruins up. The Basilica has a large number of them stacked up high about the bell tower to keep it from crumbling further.