rustica

The Red Zone cordon was officially lifted a couple of weeks ago, together with most of the fencing that has barricaded off the city centre.



Of course, there are still buildings in the centre that aren't safe. And the residential red zone too, mostly out eastwards towards the sea, that's all pretty munted still.


But in the centre of town we've turned the corner. The whole of Cathedral Square is open again, the checkpoint is down and the army have left.


They have swept out like the sea, and in their absence all the accumlated debris of two years's abandonment has been left high and dry.


Much of the centre is still demolition zones like this one,


and this one,


sometimes inadvertently creating great beauty, like these amazingly tentacled pillars - kind of like modern art, but not shit!


And construction zones,



including our new Cardboard Cathedral. Other cathedrals may have signs saying "God is Love", but ours, fittingly, says "Naylor Love" [name of prominent construction company].


"Look, Billy, diggers" said one mother to her ecstatic small child; I feel sorry for Billy when he realises that the world is not, normally, roamed by those Jurassic beasts,


nor these spectacular giant cranes. This is not even the largest - Big Red, the largest crane in the world is here in Christchurch for the rebuild. (I did hear that one of these was affectionately named Belinda by its owner, but a search brings up no hits and now both our ISP and the NSA think I'm mad.)


With the rolling back of the fences, we could walk past shops left exactly as they were when evacuated in February 2011.


Some even had their doors open, so that anyone stupid enough to brave the risks of the damaged buildings and the extra-strong legal penalties for looters could walk in or climb in through big holes like this one.


Dairies' stock lay scattered on the floor,


dirty plates on tables in cafes,


dead, toppled plants in restaurants,


and books in bookstores.


All the archaeological evidence of occupation (this foxed newspaper dated 22nd Feb)


and evacuation,


and ever-present danger, such as these huge glass shards hanging above the pavement.