Last month I returned nervously to Christchurch for the 150th anniversary of The Press newspaper where The Spouse and I both worked a decade ago. In fact, I still write for their Zest food and fashion section. While I was looking forward to catching up with old friends and colleagues, I was hoping the earth would stand still for the duration of our visit.
The trip from the airport into the city really gave no indication of the mayhem suffered in some parts of Christchurch. It all looked much as I recalled, with only an occasional reminder of the earthquakes of September and February – a fence that needed propping up, signs of a fallen chimney, cracks in the footpath.
“It’s a tale of two cities,” locals told us more than once. Over the next two days we were certainly going to see that other city for ourselves.
The 150th anniversary cocktail party was held at Christchurch’s new art gallery. The gallery is currently closed so the building can house earthquake officials. As we left there to go on to dinner with friends, one of the newspaper’s photographers took us on a brief circuit of the red-zone perimeter so we could get an appreciation of the damage.
It was strange trying to recognise once-familiar landmarks among wrecked buildings and piles of rubble. The street lights were on, adding to the chilly night eeriness as they illuminated the destruction.
We had lived a stone’s throw from Merivale Mall and it was a shock to see some of the damage sustained by businesses in the main street. One neighbourhood hotel was subsequently completely demolished. Our own former house, a two storey stand-alone townhouse appeared undamaged but the street was full of corrugations.
When The Spouse was GM at The Press his office was on the top floor on the corner of the building, looking out onto Cathedral Square. Part of the office incorporated a curved tower, topped by a turret. That turret fell inward during the shake – and parts of the top floor pancaked. Sadly, one staff member died there and two more were critically injured.
Ironically, staff were due to move into a new building in the complex a few days after the February quake struck. The new area was undamaged apart from a broken window or two. However, with the central CBD in lock-down, it was necessary to relocate staff elsewhere.
The Press has a relatively new printing plant at Harewood near the airport and so an emergency office was set up there. There are now a collection of Portacom buildings scattered round the land beside the press building. This for now is the newspaper’s home and in the true spirit of journalism, the newspaper continues to publish.
There’s a toilet block, a tidy little cafeteria and seemingly enough seats and computers for people to get on with the job. While it might be a bit cramped, no one seemed very keen on venturing back into the CBD any time soon.
The staff member who died is remembered with a small memorial garden in the grounds.
It was arranged for us to visit those parts of the wider city that had sustained the worst damage. Three months down the track, a lot of the silt and mess from the liquefaction had been cleared but many scars remain.
I won’t forget the houses teetering on the edge of cliff as we headed towards Sumner and Redcliffs. Last week’s earthquakes have caused further houses to plummet.
Huge rocks have been dislodged from the cliffs. There were houses with roof tiles rearranged in a ripple pattern. Hundreds of chimneys fell, houses were shaken from their foundations and were sitting on an angle. A new looking subdivision near wetlands suffered a lot of damage and was like a ghost town. Warped garage doors, and twisted door and window frames have made places unlivable. Some suburbs are dotted with Portaloos. The relentless after-shakes and the arrival of winter have added to the misery.
While 80 percent of homes were unaffected, yesterday Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee indicated about 12,000 homes would probably have to be demolished.
With businesses like CBD hotels and shops unable to trade, people have been made redundant. Many have decamped altogether or are reassessing their options.
I flew out of Christchurch deeply saddened by what I’d seen and learned.
The Avon still flows, Hagley Park remains beautiful and the gates commemorating one of my early settler relatives are still standing on its perimeter. Parts of Christchurch bear remarkably few scars. But there’s that air of constant uncertainty.
No, the earth didn’t move while I was there. However, I don’t think I will be in a hurry to return.
Press building photos ©Fairfax Media
Slideshow ©Pat Churchill
