Jim & Barbara Burton Travel: Christchurch

Christchurch,

On our drive from Rakaia to Akaroa we stopped for a while in Christchurch to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the deadly earthquake of February 22^nd, 2011. After almost two years it was hard believe the devastation that, as you can see, is still front and centre. The heart of this beautiful city took a direct hit, along with other parts of the city outskirts and suburbs. It seems unbelievable that it could pinpoint and almost totally destroy the heart of this wonderful historic place, now referred to as the “Red Zone”.

185 lives were lost that terrible day. 140+ were killed in the collapse of the Canterbury TV building, which was not constructed to withstand an earthquake and folded like a pack of cards. The litigation is still in the courts but the blame was put squarely on the engineers who signed it off and the constructors who deliberately cut corners. One of the individuals who supplied inferior concrete products lives two houses down from the B&B we stayed at in Akaroa. The house is beautiful and parked outside were two Mercedes Benz and a Jaguar. Apparently he refuses to take any responsibility for the collapse of the building and just goes on living apparently with no remorse!!!!

The 185 lives that were lost, are marked by 185 empty white chairs, which have been placed on the site of the fallen Oxford Terrace Baptist Church. The concept of “The Empty Chair” has been used throughout history to depict the loss or absence of someone. When Samuel Luke Fildes learned of the death of Charles Dickens, for whom he was illustrating a book he drew “The Empty Chair” depicting Dicken’s empty desk and chair. The individuality of each chair pays tribute to the uniqueness of each person represented. If you look closely at the second row you will see a child’s car seat.

Despite the loss of lives and the devastation that is still apparent, the resilience of the people to carry on their daily lives is nothing more than incredulous. The container city, of boutique shops and café’s painted in vibrant hues of pinks, purples, greens, blues and oranges, along with the flowers, trees and the spirit of the people has made the city come alive again. This innovative concept should be utilized in other disaster situations, far better than tent cities.