Woza Wanderer: Poplar Fell, River Road

Poplar fell focus 28.04.11. On my Christchurch Avonside Dr trek, couple of days before the end of the National State-of-Emergency, following the 22 February 2011 quake, M6.3, I watched a poplar tree felled on sewage-polluted Avon River bank, on River Rd, near Swanns Rd Bridge. Feller men & machines included: workmen wearing orange or red Hi-Vis vests, a red-haul-truck, a red-chipper-truck, a red-chipper-machine, a red-mechanical-grab & a yellow-crane.

28.04.11. CONTAMINATED WATER. Avonside Dr view, tree feller machines & crane, Avon River bank, River Rd, national state of emergency

In the morning, when I trekked along Avonside Dr near Avonside Girls High ruin, I saw workmen & their machines on the opposite riverbank. I stood on Swanns Rd Bridge, watching workmen having tea & feeding bread to ducks. No trees on River Rd looked dangerous to me. As it was over two months post 22 February 2011 quake & nearly eight months post 4 September 2010 quake, I doubted those trees were dangerous.

28.04.11. Swanns Rd Bridge view, Avon River & tree feller machines & crane, River Rd, national state of emergency

The snag with a National State-of-Emergency, controlled by CD then military, was that destroyers, like tree-fellers & demolishers, oozed from quakemire, rubbing their paws, drooling for money, by destroying what others had built & nurtured for years: buildings & mature trees.

28.04.11. Feb 22 quake tilted power poles & tree feller crane, River Rd, national state of emergency

A week post 22 February 2011 quake I'd seen only one dangerous oak tree, felled by a nor'wester, which crushed a shipping-container in Hagley Park. It was an excuse for destroyers to fell nearby oaks in Hagley Park. Public safety of course, as the planned Ellerslie Flower Show was cancelled due to the quake & a marquee was already partially erected. Council couldn't have mighty oaks crashing down on grievers during the forthcoming memorial-service.

28.04.11. Swanns Rd Bridge view, poplar tree fell & crane, national state of emergency

As the National State-of-Emergency was over (lifted 1 May 2011) there would now be more citizens' scrutiny.

28.04.11. Red, Hi-Vis vested, tree feller up a poplar tree, by a yellow crane, River Rd, national state of emergency

River Rd: At the end of my Avon River trek, I snapped the poplar tree fell on Avon River bank. A red Hi-Vis vested workman up the poplar tree, sawed & slung branches, other workmen either supervised, or sawed logs, or operated the yellow-crane, or mechanical-grab, or chipper-machine.

On my Avon River trek, I'd seen several red DANGER-taped, oak trees on both riverbanks. The mature oaks looked OK. Never mind their roots were riverbank binders.