Nick had an opportunity to visit Christchurch this week through work, and although it was a flying visit he had a day to wander around the city and take in the devastation caused by the earthquake. Its hard to describe what it feels like to walk around what was the centre of a thriving city about the same size as Cardiff, but with very few people, no cars, no businesses, and very few buildings left standing. The city centre is a military zone with restricted access, and they are still demolishing buildings which are unsafe or un-saveable.
The city has just opened a new earthquake museum which had some frightening film footage of the moment the big February '11 quake struck along with hours of recordings of police radio transmissions, and eye witness accounts from rescue teams and council staff. The city is still experiencing major aftershocks; over 10,000 since the first quake struck.
Despite all of the destruction there is still a positive atmosphere created by those who remain. Many businesses are popping up in temporary locations, and a new shopping complex has recently opened in a series of shipping containers. There is a new plan for a carbon-neutral city centre development and although it may take some time to re-build, Christchurch has an exciting future ahead.
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