Honouring the Quakes & Whanau time

Thursday 23 January

Ella’s day off - so in between Louis doing more caravan chores she took us on a wee tour of bits of Christchurch we’d not seen before. We met up with Louis in town after he had dropped Banjo off for her service, to check out Quake City - an amazing exhibit about the two big quakes in 2010/2011. On entry you are greeted by two big clocks - stopped at the time of the first big quake on 4 September 2010 and the second, more deadly quake on 22 February 2011 which has quite an impact.

Moving through the exhibition, there were tributes to the various agencies who were first on the scene, reminders of the damage done, a focus on the resilience of the people of Christchurch, and also on a nation who came together to help their Cantabrian brethren, testimony on film from those who were in the thick of things on the day, and a chance to decompress by rebuilding Christchurch in lego! I was moved to tears by the memories of people who lost or nearly lost loved ones, but some of the outcomes were so strong and life affirming it was an emotional rollercoaster. There was a special beer which was agitated too long as the quake struck creating bottles of 7.1% proof - ironically that is the same number measured on the Richter scale for the big one. There was a programme called hearts for Christchurch where people crafted fabric hearts and they were shared with quake victims so that they knew someone cared. An arts programme called "Fill the Gap" was initiated to make the damaged landscape seem less desolate - the evidence of this can still be seen today in the wealth of murals in dead spaces where buildings collapsed or had to be cleared. And I loved the Whakatauki.

Louis then headed back to business while we went out to the Port Hills for lunch at Sign of the Kiwi and to see the views. It was poignant being up at roughly the same viewpoint as one of the most iconic photographs taken seconds after the major 2011 quake struck.

The view over the hills towards Lyttleton was more serene and lovely - I can see why Ella brings many of her clients up here for their photography sessions.

Sign of the Kiwi was an adorable cafe and we managed to nab a table in the sun to have lunch... I got waylaid by a delicious date scone while Linus had her last eggs Benedict fix with an avocado Bene stack & Ella had a burger.

Halfway down to ground level we passed the amazing Sign of the Kaha which looked like a castle and had a Medieval-style dining hall and a knight in armour for decor!

After that, we drove back north to Rangiora and the serious business of op shopping - I was quite good and refrained from most purchases, but Linus came away with a bagful! At City Mission, we met the most fabulous older woman who had made an eclectic and exotic selection of purchases - she had a wonderfully Iris Apfel style about her! Next door in a walk through mall, the male mannequins were looking somewhat less salubrious tha this lovely lady!!!

We got home to the hounds who were grateful to be let out, and then we immediately set to work prepping for E&J’s belated 8th anniversary BBQ party - which was fab! We got to meet lots of their lovely new local friends and Luna the black lab. 🖤