Christchurch - Rising like a Phoenix from the Earthquake Rubble

 Last week, for the first time in eight years, I spent a few days in Christchurch.  Christchurch has been recovering from two major earthquakes, one in 2010 and one in 2011, and I was looking forward to seeing what progress had been made in the city's recovery. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

 (To read my previous posts about the earthquakes type in the search box:  Christchurch - A City With a Broken Heart but a Fighting Spirit  And  Christchurch's Cardboard Cathedral)  

Although the central city of Christchurch is compact, and easy to walk around,  I recommend starting a visit with a ride on the quaint old hop on - hop off trams which circle the city centre and provide a good commentary on the sights and history of the city.  

I have known Christchurch well through my life, having visited multiple times, and I still find it hard to get my head around the difference between the city I knew and the shiny new city which is now being built.  Vestiges of the old remain and it is fortunate that  some of the lovely old 'as English as England' buildings survived but so much is new and quite wonderful.  Given time I think this will be the stunning city that's already well on its way to being created.

Above: Some of the lovely old buildings were spared.
Below: The facade of this theatre was the only part saved. 
 A whole new theatre has been built behind it

The most spectacular new building is the Christchurch Convention Centre, opened in December 2021 it borders Cathedral Square, the very heart of Christchurch, and fronts the river Avon. The convention centre has an eye catching exterior and covers 28,000 square metres including an auditorium to seat 2000.  

The new Christchurch Convention Centre

Apart from the much loved and iconic Ballantynes department store, which escaped with minor damage, every other shop or mall in the main shopping street, Cashel Street, was either destroyed or had to be demolished.  I was amazed to find that a whole new street of glossy, modern shops has been built to replace the old.  The Crossing is a new multi storey mall and branching off Cashel Street are attractive covered walkways housing cafes and shops. Down towards the river is the Riverside Market, a very attractive foodhall/market where you can buy deli items or grab a quick meal. Although small in scale it reminded me of the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne or the English Market in Cork. Around the corner on Oxford Terrace brand new restaurants have been built overlooking the river.  They are popular, colourful and very busy.  

Riverside Market

You can stroll a bit further along the river to your left and come to the Antigua Boat Sheds, earthquake survivors.  Here you can hire a punt with a punter for a gentle glide along the Avon River. Yes, as English as England indeed.

A short distance from Cathedral Square is New Regent Street which had just been restored and reopened when I visited Christchurch in 2014.  It was quiet and uncrowded then, now it is a buzzy, busy place with cafes, umbrellas, tables and chairs filling the centre of the street.

The pretty Art Deco New Regent Street

A small corner of the playground

The children of Christchurch have not been forgotten.  In 2015 the Margaret Mahy Playground was opened, named in honour of New Zealand's most famous children's author who lived near by.  The idea behind the playground was to bring joy and laughter back into the city and to give children feelings of confidence and hope.  It is large and by far the best playground I have seen in New Zealand and as a grandmother I have seen plenty!

Everywhere you look in central Christchurch there is work going on to rebuild or restore buildings.  The city has come a very long way but it still has a long way to go.  There are numerous empty sections where buildings once stood, and cars now park, and there are buildings either boarded up or held up by scaffolding or containers.  

Right: Boarded up and blocked for safety by containers

Cathedral Square still looks a mess, however work has started on restoring the cathedral to its former grandeur.  The cathedral has always been the centre point of the city but for years controversy raged on about whether it should be demolished and a new cathedral built in its place or whether it should be restored.  In the end restoration won out so the massive task has begun. Currently there is another controversy over the building of a new stadium. While discussions roll on costs keep escalating. Hopefully a resolution will come soon.

Work has begun on the Cathedral.  Restoration will take a few years.
The rose window is fake, printed on fabric. The rose window was destroyed in the quakes.

Not forgetting the tragedy of the lives lost in the earthquake there is a sombre, austere  memorial alongside the river.  I took some time to pause there and think about the victims who were simply going about their normal day when the earthquake struck. It could happen to any of us.  Life is short - we must enjoy it.

A small section of the memorial.  A long curved wall along the river's edge lists the names of those killed

My visit included a stroll through the glorious Botanic Gardens, and visits to both the Museum and the Art Gallery, both excellent.  The Art Gallery is housed in a building fronted entirely in glass.  Not one pane of glass was damaged in the earthquakes which destroyed all the buildings surrounding it.  It was used as the operations centre in the aftermath of the earthquake with no problems despite hundreds of after shocks. This says much for the high level of earthquake proofing used in its construction.

Christchurch Art Gallery

It is not often that a city can design itself almost from scratch and Christchurch is making the most of this opportunity. I kept thinking back to something I heard at the graduation I attended in Christchurch shortly after the earthquakes. "The best of things happen if you make the best of things that happen"

Well done, Christchurch, you are making the best of it and looking great. I look forward to my next visit.

#christchurchrecovery #christchurchearthquake