Snowy CBD cordon focus. 25.07.11. After a mild winter to date, late Sun night, 24 July, it started snowing. Continued snowing intermittently on Mon, snow about a foot deep in our Heath St garden, street in deep snow. Unusual for Christchurch, coastal snow didn't fall every winter.
25.07.11. Snowy Heath St, post June 13 quake
I wanted to see DTZ ghost demolition, begun on Friday in the CBD cordoned red zone. Drove down snowy Guildford St. Greers Rd, snowy, as I'd find the rest of Christchurch that day. Roads, early morning iced, a revving car skidded across Wairakei Rd crossing trying to move after traffic lights' green.
25.07.11. Snowy front yard, Heath St house, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy driveway, Heath St, post June 13 quake
As my Toyota tyres had new, deep treads, I had no problem driving in ice & snow. While the snow storm continued, car lights on, I followed tracks of other cars through snow sludge in the middle of the road. Everyone drove slowly, keeping their distance, cautious at traffic lights. It snowed all the way to the CBD, parked cars, six inches of snow on top.
25.07.11. Snowy back yard, Heath St, post June 13 quake
Bealey Ave cnr: I mistook going so early to the CBD in a snow storm, as I had no place to park. Roadside parking, I'd get stuck, as snow was deep, slippery & would compact under car weight, trapping my car. Some cars slid off roadsides, stuck. I drove through the snowstorm up Papanui Rd back to Burnside.
25.07.11. Snowy house fencing & snowy pot plants, Heath St, post June 13 quake
Before noon, snowing stopped a bit, sun came out, so I made another attempt. Still no parking, more cars had slid off roadsides, some hazard lights flickering. I drove along snow sludged Bealey Ave to Leah's school carpark, Seabrook McKenzie Centre, London St. Parked on inches of compacted snow, determined to trek the snow cordon around quaked Christchurch CBD. Six weeks before, June 13, the carpark was quakemired again.
25.07.11. Snowy carpark, Seabrook McKenzie Centre, London St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy, green, plastic, sewage tank, London St, post June 13 quake
While trekking back along snowy London St & snowy Bealey Ave the snow storm continued. I wore woollen gear & a green, hooded Mackintosh, so was weather-proof, legs & shoes excepted. Along Bealey Ave, I snapped quakescapes I'd seen before, but snowy, only recognized by location:
25.07.11. Snowy Bealey Ave, nr Fitzgerald Ave cnr, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy sewage, sucker trucks, Bealey Ave, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy Bealey Ave / Manchester St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy Bealey Ave / Colombo St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy The Deanery demolition site, Bealey Ave, post June 13 quake
25.07.11 Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy Maori marae, demolition site, Bealey Ave / Springfield Rd, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Post Feb 22 quake, snowy, temp bus exchange, Bealey Ave. Other temp bus exchange, on Hagley Ave, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy, serial quake trashed, steel mesh fence cordoned house, walls stripped off by Feb 22 quake, Bealey Ave, post June 13 quake. The house would be demolished
Bealey Ave: Snowed in, parked, sewage sucker trucks. Snowed, The Deanery demolition site. Snowy Maori marae, demolition site, Bealey Ave / Springfield Rd. Snowed, The Pharmacy demolition site, Bealey Ave / Colombo St. Snowed, Knox Presbyterian Church ghost; snowed mobile pub, Carlton Hotel snowy demolition site, Bealey Ave / Papanui Rd.
25.07.11. Snowy Bealey Ave / Victoria St / Papanui Rd crossing. Mobile pub on Papanui Rd cnr, where quake demolished Carlton Hotel once stood
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy, serial quake trashed Knox Presbyterian Church, Bealey Ave / Victoria St, post June 13 quake
Snow blowing in my face, my glasses already removed, I trekked down snowy Victoria St to Fidelity Assurance, being demolished, a digger picking at snowy ruins. It was the only active demolition I saw that day. Not much going on in snowy CBD, most businesses closed by quakes or snow.
Leah postponed her seminar to aspiring teachers & Luke's tech lectures were postponed too, next day as well. Due to icy roads, bosses gave quake & snow shocked employees a long weekend.
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger, snowy, Fidelity Assurance demolition site, Victoria St, post June 13 quake
Pedestrians I passed in the snow greeted heartily, enjoying the novelty of snow, & clean, fresh air, like me. Much better than sludging through grey quakemire for so long after quakes. Although my legs & feet were wet & SUV hoons splashed heavy snow slush on pedestrians while driving by, CBD's quakescapes were spectacular: thickly snowed streets, snowy ghosts.
25.07.11. Snowy Costas Taverna, closed, Victoria St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Victoria St view, snowy, quake demolition site & view across Montreal St, post June 13 quake
Snowy quakescapes: Salisbury St & Peterborough St crossings demolition sites, still steel mesh fence cordoned. Jubilee Clock Tower, Victoria Mansions, The Est@blishment, later demolished, Christchurch Casino. All snowy.
Snowy: The Peterborough ghost, Montreal St cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned. Cranmer Court ghost, Kilmore St cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned (demolished Oct 2012). Cranmer Sq, surrounded by bare London planes: a couple wandered across towards Cranmer Centre snowy demolition site.
25.07.11. Gordon Smith & Sons Fruiterers, snowy view, Victoria St / Salisbury St / Montreal St crossing, post June 13 Quake
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, fence cordon. Snowy view across Strategy bldg demolition site to The Est@blishment bldg left, awaiting demolition, & quake damaged Victoria Mansions & Jubilee Clock Tower, Victoria St / Salisbury St / Montreal St crossing, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy Victoria St / Montreal St crossing view, quake damaged Victoria Mansions, Jubilee Clock Tower, The Peterborough, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Montreal St view, snowy, quake demolition site & Victoria St / Peterborough St crossing. Christchurch Casino beyond, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy Montreal St view, Peterborough St to Christchurch Casino, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy, orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordoned, serial quake damaged, The Peterborough, Peterborough St / Montreal St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cones. Snowy, steel mesh fence cordoned, serial quake damaged, boarded, Cranmer Court, Montreal St / Kilmore St, post June 13 quake. Cranmer Court would be demolished, Oct 2012 after public protests
25.07.11. Snowy Cranmer Sq, Cranmer Centre demolition site beyond, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy, quake damaged, boarded house, Chester St West / Cranmer Sq, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy Windsor Hotel demolition site & rebuild. Cranmer Centre quake demolition site beyond, Armagh St / Montreal St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy, steel mesh fence cordoned, quake damaged bldgs, Armagh St, post June 13 quake
Snowy: Cut down Armagh St & along Durham St Sth, past Provincial Chambers ghost. Photographers were at Gloucester St crossing, steel mesh fence cordoned near Central Library ghost.
Not a NZDF cordon soldier in sight, nor cops. Only cops I saw near the snow cordon were two patrol cars, one on Durham St Sth, another on St Asaph St. Like everything else on snowy days, cops & military shut down too. I could've entered the CBD cordon anywhere. So much for snow cordon security. I had the risible thought of cops & NZDF soldiers tracking interlopers' footprints in CBD snow.
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cones. Snowy, serial quake damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, Feb 22 quake trashed, Provincial Chambers, Durham St Nth. Rydges & Clarendon Tower beyond, post June 13 quake. Clarendon Tower would be demolished, 2012. Rydges Hotel would survive the quakes. 2022. Rydges Hotel still abandoned
25.07.11. Snow photographers by steel mesh fence cordoned, serial quake damaged, Provincial Chambers, Gloucester St / Durham St Nth, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy CBD quake cordon, wooden, checkpoint hut, Gloucester St Bridge. Central Library beyond left, quake damaged Brannigans by diggers right, post June 13 quake. Brannigans would soon be demolished. Central Library would be demolished, 2014, Farmers behind would be demolished, 2012
Snowy: Trekked along snowy Avon River bank, Cambridge Tce side, looking into red zone, ghost zone, cordon forbidden CBD. Avon River, POLLUTED WATER PLEASE AVOID CONTACT, threat signs hung on trees. We'd endured sewage polluted Avon River since the Sept 4 Darfield Quake, 10 months prior. A couple of photographers stood on Worcester St Bridge, peering through the steel mesh fence cordon, trying to see Christ Church Cathedral ghost.
Clarendon Tower ghost loomed, awaiting demolition. Why had that new, high rise's, inside stairwells failed on several floors during the 22.02.11 Killer Quake, trapping workers? Clarendon Tower would be demolished, 2012.
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy Cambridge Tce view, sewage polluted, Avon River, Oxford Tce, Rydges Hotel, Clarendon Tower & serial quake trashed, braced, Our City, old, brick bldg, post June 13 quake. Clarendon Tower would be demolished, 2012
25.07.11. Snowy Cambridge Tce view, sewage polluted Avon River, Worcester St Bridge, serial quake trashed Our City, old, brick bldg left & Central Police right, post June 13 quake. Central Police would be imploded 31.05.15
25.07.11. Snowy, steel mesh fence cordoned, Worcester St Bridge view, quake damaged, Clarendon Tower, demolished 2012
25.07.11. EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. Snowy, steel mesh fence cordoned, Worcester St Bridge, quake braced Our City, old, brick bldg left, quake damaged, Clarendon Tower right, Feb 22 quake trashed, Christ Church Cathedral centre, obscured by cordon, crane & snow storm, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel fence cordon. Cambridge Tce view, snowy Worcester Blvd, looking towards Canterbury Museum, post June 13 quake
Snowy, Hereford St Bridge: Not a soul, by steel mesh fence cordoned, ghost CBD. Beside Avon River, I trekked below snow dripping, trees, past the WW1 Henry Nicholas VC statue, snow on his bronze, lemon-squeezer hat. Across Avon River, I looked at ghost cafes, Oxford Tce, in the red zone, snow slipping off ruined awnings. The cafes would be demolished for The Terrace complex.
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Cambridge Tce / Hereford St view, old, brick, serial quake damaged, Library Chambers & brand new, quake damaged, Christchurch City Council bldg behind. Library Chambers would be demolished, Council bldg would be repaired
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy, Hereford St Bridge view, serial quake damaged, Clarendon Tower, demolished, 2012
25.07.11. Snowy, Cambridge Tce, WW1 Henry Nicholas VC statue view, snow cordoned, Cashel St, Bridge of Remembrance & DTZ bldg, demolition site left, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. POLLUTED WATER. Snowy, Cambridge Tce view, sewage polluted Avon River, Oxford Tce cafes, Feb 22 quake closed, post June 13 quake. The cafes would be demolished for The Terrace complex
25.07.11. Snowy Cambridge Tce view, sewage polluted Avon River, Oxford Tce cafes, quake trashed, Hotel Grand Chancellor beyond, later demolished. Post June 13 quake, Oxford Tce cafes would be demolished for The Terrace complex
Bridge of Remembrance: Near snowy lion statues, I peered through the steel mesh fence cordon, trying to see Whitcoulls demolition site on snowy Cashel Mall. I lingered with another photographer, snapping snowy DTZ demolition ghost, work stopped. Steel mesh fence cordon, threat sign:
EXTREME
DANGER
KEEP
OUT
Durham St Sth: A smiley bloke skied past!
25.07.11. EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. Steel mesh fence cordon. Bridge of Remembrance view, quake trashed Cashel Mall, Hotel Grand Chancellor beyond, later demolished, DTZ bldg demolition site right, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy Bridge of Remembrance view, orange digger, DTZ bldg demolition site, post June 13 quake
Lichfield St: Steel mesh fence cordon sign:
doctors
on cashel...
YES WE ARE OPEN
WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy Durham St Sth view, DTZ bldg, demolition site, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy Durham St Sth view, DTZ bldg, demolition site, post June 13 quake. See the CBD, snow cordon skier
Sludged along snowy Mollett St by car sales bldgs. People had died in the Feb 22 Killer Quake at the end of steel mesh fence cordoned, Mollet St, when old, brick bldgs collapsed on pedestrians & the Sumner number 3 red bus on Colombo St. There were no apologies from owners of death-trap bldgs, who'd failed to make bldgs safe post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake.
25.07.11. ROAD CLOSED. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Steel braced, boarded bldg. Mollett St view, distant Colombo St crossing, where 16 people died in the Feb 22 quake
St Asaph St eastwards: Some cars sludged through snow, a few pedestrians like me picked our slippery way through. I snapped distant St John ghost & a snowy, sewage pipe excavation.
Colombo St: Empty, frozen quakescape, demolition rubble gone, where 16 people died in the Feb 22 Killer Quake. Business signs still hung on the steel mesh fence cordon. Idiots!
25.07.11. Snowy, quake damaged St John bldg, steel mesh fence cordoned, St Asaph St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Colombo St, steel mesh fence cordoned demolition site, between St Asaph St / Tuam St, where 16 people died along Colombo St in the Feb 22 quake. Serial quake damaged Westpac, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Holiday Inn, old Council bldg backdrop, all would be demolished
25.07.11. St Asaph St / Colombo St snow cordon, demolition site. 16 people died along Colombo St during the 22.02.11 quake
Colombo St: Shop window, hand-written sign:
Due to the Earthquake
Colombo St DSC is
Currently out of Action,
We Will Return!
Meanwhile we do offer
full service at Hornby,
Riccarton, Papanui & Northwood
Stores.
Thank you
DSC Management
25.07.11. St Asaph St, steel mesh fence cordon view, serial quake damaged old, Christchurch City Council bldg, Tuam St, left. Quake damaged, Hotel Grand Chancellor & Holiday Inn, right, post June 13 quake. The 3 bldgs would be demolished. Council bldg demo enabled rebuild of the new Bus Interchange
25.07.11. White / orange, plastic, road barrier cordon. St Asaph St view, quake damaged Odeon Theatre, Tuam St, post June 13 quake. Odeon Theatre would be part demolished & remain derelict for years. Tuam St facade would be retained
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordoned, quake demolition site & serial quake trashed, old, brick Theme Basics beyond, St Asaph St / Manchester St, post June 13 quake. Theme Basics would be demolished
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. St Asaph St crossing view, snow cordoned Manchester St, towards snowy Port Hills, post June 13 quake. Most bldgs in the pic would be demolished
25.07.11. AUTHORISED VEHICLES ONLY. St Asaph St, steel mesh fence cordon, N view, Manchester St & serial quake trashed, CBD bldgs, post June 13 quake. Most bldgs in the pic would be demolished
Snowy St Asaph St / Manchester St: Steel mesh fence cordon, threat signs:
AUTHORISED
VEHICLES ONLY
WARNING
NO PUBLIC ACCESS
BEYOND THIS POINT
Given all the shiny, new threat signs festooning the CBD cordon, together with business ad signs, someone was making a mint producing all those new signs!
St Asaph St: An old lady in black trudged past in the snow, ski poles supporting her. By McKenzie Willis ghost, some snowy bldgs were still part demolished, steel mesh fence cordoned.
25.07.11. St Asaph St, steel mesh fence cordon, E view, serial quake trashed, part demolished, old, brick bldgs, behind High St, post June 13 quake
Snowy St Asaph St / High St / Madras St crossing: EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. Snapped snowy quakescapes behind steel mesh fence cordons. Photographers, touring the snow cordon in warm luxury, hopped out of their SUV & happy-snapped. I'd seen them at other crossings. A High St brick ghost, collapsed by the June 13 Quake, was part cleared. Snowy rubble. Post quakes, Salt District.
25.07.11. EXTREME DANGER KEEP OUT. St Asaph St, steel mesh fence cordon view, High St, serial quake damaged bldgs, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy St Asaph St / Madras St crossing, by Christchurch Polytech, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. St Asaph St, steel mesh fence cordon, N view, Madras St, CBD, serial quake damaged bldgs, post June 13 quake. Most bldgs in the pic would be demolished
25.07.11. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Snowy St Asaph St crossing, S view, snowy Madras St, to snowy Port Hills. Christchurch Polytech left, old, quake damaged, railway station clock tower right, post June 13 quake. The railway station would be demolished
Snowy St Asaph St / Ferry Rd fork: I snapped distant RC Cathedral dome's wooden skeleton, serial quake damaged. The dome had fewer wooden ribs, frozen to death. The next day a crane would remove the ghost dome. After years of abandonment, RC Cathedral would be demolished, 2021.
25.07.11. Snowy St Asaph St / Ferry Rd fork view across a quake demolition site to quake dead, RC Cathedral dome, crane removed the next day, post June 13 quake. After years of abandonment the RC Cathedral would be demolished, 2021
Snowy Barbadoes St / St Asaph St: I coolpixed old, brick, Community of the Sacred Name, Anglican Convent ghost, part demolished, at last. It should've been demolished post Sept 4 Darfield Quake, eyesore, hazard to pedestrians & vehicle traffic. The convent would soon be partly demolished.
25.07.11. Snowy St Asaph St / Barbadoes St, serial quake trashed, old, brick, Community of the Sacred Name Convent demolition site, post June 13 quake. The Convent would be demolished
Snowy Barbadoes St to Bealey Ave: Snowed demolition vehicles, parked on Turners & Growers site, between Tuam St & Lichfield St. Two blokes trying to fix their car in snow sludge at Lichfield St crossing were sprayed by passing SUVs. More than a decade later, CERA's Blueprint stadium would be built on Turners & Growers site.
25.07.11. Barbadoes St view, snowy, CBD carpark, Turners & Growers site, between Tuam St & Lichfield St. Quake damaged CBD - Westpac, Holiday Inn, Hotel Grand Chancellor, IR bldg right, post June 13 quake. Westpac, Holiday Inn, Hotel Grand Chancellor would be demolished. IR bldg would survive the quakes. More than a decade later, CERA's Blueprint stadium would be built on site
25.07.11. Blokes fixing a snowbound car, Barbadoes St / Lichfield St. Serial quake damaged Holiday Inn, IR bldg & Hotel Grand Chancellor beyond, post June 13 quake. Westpac & Hotel Grand Chancellor would be demolished. IR bldg would survive the quakes
Snowy Barbadoes St / Cashel St: Snapped Provincial Hotel demolition rubble & views of CBD high rise ghosts, like tilted Hotel Grand Chancellor, later demolished. Snapped distant CTV demolition site, where 115 people died in the 22.02.11 quake.
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy Provincial Hotel, quake demolition site, Barbadoes St / Cashel St, post June 13 quake. Quake damaged IR bldg & Hotel Grand Chancellor Hotel, later demolished. Quake collapsed, demolished CTV bldg once teetered between the pic lamp posts. 115 people died there in the 22.02.11 quake
Snowy Barbadoes St / Hereford St & Worcester St crossings: Snapped ghost houses. Eastwards, roads were more sludged, as people used those road bits more. Westwards, closer to the CBD, roads were less sludged, as the CBD snow cordon, red zone was lifeless, no point visiting.
25.07.11. Barbadoes St W view, snow cordoned, Hereford St. Serial quake trashed St Johns Anglican Church left, Latimer Sq right, post June 13 quake. St Johns would be demolished enabling the Anglican, Cardboard Cathedral, built in 2012-2013. Feb 22 quake trashed Hotel Grand Chancellor left, would be demolished
25.07.11. Snowy, quake damaged bldgs, Barbadoes St, nr Hereford St crossing, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Snowy, serial quake damaged, double storey house, Barbadoes St / Worcester St, post June 13 quake. The double storey house would be demolished
25.07.11. CBD snow cordon view from Barbadoes St / Worcester St crossing, post June 13 quake
Down snowy Gloucester St & Armagh St: I saw snowy, steel mesh fence cordons towards the ghost CBD.
Snowy Barbadoes St / Armagh St: Snapped snowmen in a demolition site. School holidays time.
Kilmore St: Snowy Fire Service ghost, tunnel house still cordoned, fire engines blocking the road by Avon River bank.
25.07.11. Snowy, quake demolition site & snowy, steel mesh fence cordoned, quake damaged bldg, Barbadoes St / Armagh St, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Barbadoes St / Armagh St crossing, S view, snowy Barbadoes St towards snowy Sugarloaf, Port Hills, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. ROAD CLOSED AHEAD. Barbadoes St crossing, W view, snow cordoned Kilmore St, by NZ Fire Service bldg & fire engines, temp tunnel house, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Snowy, quake demolition site & quake damaged bldg, Barbadoes St / Kilmore St, post June 13 quake
Cambridge Tce, The Bricks by Avon River: Snapped snowscapes through a house demolition fence.
25.07.11. Barbadoes St view, sewage polluted Avon River & snowy The Bricks, snowy Cambridge Tce right, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Wire mesh fence cordoned, snowy, house demolition site, Barbadoes St / Cambridge Tce, post June 13 quake
Barbadoes St: About 2pm, when snow clouds lifted, I glimpsed snowy Port Hills, including Sugarloaf. Thawing snow sludged roads more, soaking my feet & leggings.
25.07.11. Two yellow, snow graders, Barbadoes St, nr Cambridge Tce crossing, post June 13 quake
Fulton Hogan graded at last, sending two yellow graders down Barbadoes St, clearing snow. During my snow cordon trek, I'd seen Fulton Hogan drivers in SUVs spraying snow slush on pavement pedestrians while driving by.
25.07.11. Snowy Barbadoes St Cemetery, Barbadoes St / Salisbury St, post June 13 quake
Barbadoes St Cemetery: Snapped snow-capped tombstones, some quake collapsed in snow.
25.07.11. Snowy Barbadoes St Cemetery, post June 13 quake
Snowy Bealey Ave: Snapped snowmen, road islands bright with thawing snow. A yellow grader cleared snow at Fitzgerald Ave crossing.
25.07.11. Snow thaw & snowman, Bealey Ave, towards Fitzgerald Ave crossing, post June 13 quake
25.07.11. Yellow snow grader, Fitzgerald Ave / Bealey Ave, post June 13 quake
London St: Snapped snowy ghost houses, green & blue portaloos & a green, plastic, sewage tank by Perth St crossing. Pedestrians picked their way over lumpy, iced snow.
25.07.11. Snowy, green portaloo & serial quake damaged house, London St, post June 13 quake. The house would be demolished
25.07.11. Snowy quakescape, London St, post June 13 quake
Snapped a snow woman with boobs, carrot nose, black bikini bottom. Snapped snowy, Seabrook McKenzie Centre, playground, 2 grey portaloos. During June 13 Quake, 6 weeks before, school grounds oozed tons of grey quakemire.
25.07.11. Snowy Seabrook McKenzie Centre, London St, post June 13 quake
Snowy Greers Rd: Near home I passed a 6 foot snow penis with snow balls.
Tue 26.07.11. The Press front page headline: "Christchurch suffers coldest day since 1918." A Mon 2C high, lowest day temperature since 1918. Misleading, as Christchurch regularly had minus C winter temps, at night. Guaranteed wind chill on my walk was less than 2C.
Sat 30.07.11. Close up TV programme: A NZ Rich List prick pontificated that NZ was "on the road to ruin" if NZ increased the minimum wage of $13/hr. Tell that to Christchurch people who lost their jobs in quakes! Jake lost his restaurant jobs twice due to quakes. He flatted in a quake trashed garage for 4.5 months over winter, while Leah & I supported him financially. The Rich Lister didn't say how he & his family could live on that wage for a year, with tax? Nor why workers on that exploitative wage had to work many overtime hours to make ends meet. Funny that NZ management salaries, perks, productivity, efficiency weren't mentioned at all.
It was obvious that although there was massive quake damage throughout Christchurch residential suburbs, posh suburbs like Fendalton with all its quake damages by Avon River, Wairarapa Stream & other wetlands were not red zoned, yet many other wetland suburbs were red zoned: Avonside, Dallington, Avonhead, Burwood, Brooklands...
Why was there no residential red zoning in Fendalton? There were ghost houses in Fendalton close to where I lived. A friend owned a ghost house near Wairarapa Stream. It would be demolished, rebuilt. There was lots of residential quake damage in Fendalton, hidden by high walls & shrubbery, northwards from Little Hagley Park right through to Ilam Rd in CERA minister Brownlee's constituency.
Despite quakes, given Christchurch average house sale price, May to July 2011, as $386 279 (The Press 09.08.11) it would take several incarnations for anyone on the minimum wage to save enough to buy a house. Rich List whiners & beneficiary bashers hadn't a clue.
The CBD snow skier, indomitable, old lady with ski poles, snowmen I saw that snow cordon day, made me laugh. Made me cry too.
*Trekked Heath St, London St, Bealey Ave, Victoria St, Montreal St, Cranmer Sq, Armagh St, Durham St Nth, Gloucester St, Cambridge Tce, Durham St Sth, Mollett St, St Asaph St, Barbadoes St. 177 snaps.
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
