Monday, December 31, 2012

The end of 2012

The end is nigh...but it's another year tomorrow.  I won't be staying up - the New Year is coming anyway and it doesn't need any help from me.

While in Christchurch over Christmas, Sophie took me into Restart, the container city that's been set up in Cashel Mall.  (For overseas readers, much of the inner city was destroyed in the February earthquake of 2011).  While there have been myriads of photos published,  I hadn't been into the city and seen how it looked for myself.  These photos were taken with my phone.

 We had coffee upstairs in a container cafe.  This is the view across the mall....
 ...and down to the outdoor seating on the ground.
 Here's Sophie engrossed in her phone.  It was a lovely warm day.
 Looking across to Ballantyne's lounge area - now in a  container, though most of the original building is still there.
 More clever use of containers.
 Somewhere down Lichfield St I think - many of the landmarks are gone.
 Most of the damaged buildings have been demolished.  Sophie told me that Clarendon Tower, the highrise she was trapped in, has been pulled down.
The shell of Knox Presbyterian Church on the corner of Victoria St and Bealey Avenue.

It's a time of renewal and regrowth in Christchurch, and my son Cass and girlfriend Cat will be moving here in the New Year to be part of this.

Best wishes to all my blog friends and readers for a happy and productive year.

3 comments:

Françoise said...

Happy New Year to you and to your family Shirley!

Janet said...

what a unique way to build things up again! Hope 2013 has gotten off to a nice start for you and your family :-)

Donald said...

Hi Shirley, great set of photos. You're obviously on a roll given your photography pursuits of late. They have a real freshness I like.

Cheers

Donald