Anniversary of an Earthquake

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

Despite her scars, Christchurch is always lovely to return to. Granted, the first time I arrived in Christchurch last week, it was after six months of snow and ice and cold wind, and this week it was after four days of tramping in cold rain, and both times Christchurch has blessed me with warm sunny days.

I mostly avoided the CBD (the Central Business District), largely because there is not much left there, but also because it makes me really sad. I walked down to the Cashel Street mall, where some creative city folk have replaced some of the fallen buildings with brightly colored shipping containers, now home to many of the displaced shops and cafes. It is wonderful to see some forward movement of any kind, and to see some business return to the city, but it only reminds me of what once was. It would seem that moving on is not my strong suit….

I walked to the end of the mail where fences blocked off the rest of the city. To the left, I could see Cathedral Square in the distance, the spire now on the ground, and a gaping hole in the old church. It was my first glimpse of the square since last year, and while the tourists nearby chatted about the similarities between this and other international disasters, tears welled up in my eyes. It’s an odd thing, really to have tourists come to see what remains, to gawk at the tattered remains. I suppose I am hardly more than a tourist, but somehow I feel like I’ve earned my moment.

One year on from the earthquake that brought the city to her knees, but it’s hardly been a quiet year. The Christmas earthquakes altered the landscape further, and have slowed progress. Here’s hoping for a better year for Christchurch this year.