Christchurch & Arthur's Pass

Having visited Christchurch (aka ChCh) prior to the devastating Earthquake of 2011, we were interested to go back and see how the city is doing 3 years on. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to see it after our own Earthquake scares, but I'm glad we did.

When we arrived, it was chucking down with rain, and the whole place felt really rather bleak. There were derelict shops that were still standing but had obviously been condemned, and the damaged Church in the square- once an iconic landmark, now a reminder of how much damage was done. There was also quite a stark memorial made of white chairs, to represent every person killed in the quake.
We gave up trying to find landmarks of when we'd visiting previously, and went for a coffee instead.

It was a great cafe with a real buzz, and by the time we left the sun had come out and we walked round to Re:Start, the shopping centre built out of shipping containers. Quite cool really. It sounds silly, but the change in weather sort of reflected the new start that ChCh is striving for, and we left feeling much more cheery than when we arrived. I'd be really interested to see ChCh in another 5 years time. I think that it will be quite a funky town with a real spirit about the place.

After leaving ChCh, we made the long but scenic trip over Arthur's Pass, back over to the west coast. It was beautiful scenery, but again, photos don't really do it justice, so I didn't even try!

The Remains of the Church

All Shipping Container Shops