The cloud that had started to roll over the hills on Banks Peninsula yesterday were forecast to spread over the city overnight and the prediction was correct.However,the cloud is also forecast to clear as the day wears on and afternoon should be sunny with 20C.
So we took a dollar each way and dressed our top for summer and bottom for autumn and hoped for the best that we wouldnt get too warm if the sun came out as predicted or too cool if the cloud cover remained all day.
It was another free ride into the city and we alighted the #28 at the modern, clean and well organised bus interchange. Tauranga city could learn a lot from Christchurch as the Tauranga bus interchange is quite frankly a disgrace with undesirable people loitering requiring at least 2 permanent security guards to try and keep the peace despite the Police Station just 150 metres up the road.
I have worked steadily on Gretchen over the past 2 days reminding her that the CBD is contained within 4 avenues in a basic oblong and that the Port Hills are in the south.
the CBD map we got when we checked into our up the right way Gretchen navigated us walking successfully to Quake City on Armagh Street to take in the exhibits recalling the 2 major earthquakes that struck the city in September 2010 and another in February 2011.The latter being the one that caused the most damage and 185 deaths because it was very shallow and very close to the city.
The exhibition is very well done without giving you too much written information to read but rather telling the story in pictures, interviews with survivors and video.
One of the more dramatic pieces of video was a security camera that captured the actual moment of the February quake as people walked along a footpath, cycled or drove a car on a street in the CDB and then suddenly being unable to stand as the ground shook and a brick building outer wall fell in a cloud of dust.
It was easy to pass an hour and a half at the exhibition and we emerged back on the street hoping that perhaps the sun might have appeared and the cloud burned off. No such luck and as
midday approached we reckoned that the air temperature was struggling to get above 15C, a rarity for us since summer arrived in early December.
We found our way down to the Riverside Market on Oxford Street and wandered around the multitude of eateries offering everything from Indian curries to delicious sweet treats.
We were happy with our usual coffees and pastries that Gretchen located and we hoped these would keep us going until our dinner on the city tram tonight came around.
With the Earthquake Memorial Wall a short walk away next to the Avon River we took a stroll past the 185 names on the wall of the people who died in February 2011.The only thing we didnt like as we silently contemplated what that awful day must have like for Cantabrians, was the incessant noise of a jack hammer on a building under renovation adjacent to the memorial wall.
Next was a walk along Cashel Street with visits inside a few shops to try and find a jersey for me in case the cooler weather continues and a scarf for Gretchen. Neither we found before our wandering took us to the ‘Cardboard Cathedral ‘built
Like all churches the atmosphere inside was peaceful but we are please that recently and after much debate the Christchurch Cathedral severely damaged in the February quake is at last being rebuilt although from what we saw the job to restore it, is major.
There are still many sites around the CBD that are still to have new buildings constructed.Some of those sites are car parks but many are wastelands and this detracts a bit from the vibrancy of the rebuilt areas of the CBD.Perhaps some of the CBD will not be rebuilt given that COVID has resulted in many workers able to work from home rather than a downtown office.
