Christchurch, CBD Red-Zone, Hi-Vis Vested Fools

Western red-zone CBD focus. Saturday 28.08.11. Over six months post 22 February 2011 Quake, nearly a year post 4 September 2010 Quake, CBD occupier CERA relaxed its grip, opening a western niche of Christchurch's CBD red-zone to the public, trumpeted by the media. The niche was from Oxford Tce & eastwards along little bits of Lichfield St & Tuam St to the steel-mesh-fence-cordon near Colombo St.


30.08.11. Quake cracked pavement by sewage polluted Avon River, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake


30.08.11. Quake damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, medical bldg, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake. The bldg would be demolished

Over the past months post 22 February 2011 Quake, other red-zone CBD niches had opened too. But public were still banned red-zone access, public safety & guarding property excuses, guarded by cops & NZDF-soldiers at variable cordon checkpoints, although the National State-of- Emergency was long gone.


30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger, quake demolition site, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake

CERA guarded the red-zone CBD, opening it little by little after demolitions. It didn't need much brain nor time to demolish ruins. Why did CERA take so long to open the CBD red-zone niche between Lichfield St & Tuam St?


30.08.11. Quake damaged pavement by sewage polluted Avon River, Oxford Tce, post June 13 quake


30.08.11. Oxford Tce view, Cambridge Tce, quake damaged bldg, post June 13 quake

Tuesday 30.08.11. I parked my car near Christchurch Hospital & trekked to the western red-zone niche, snapping quakescapes along Oxford Tce by sewage-polluted Avon River.

Lichfield St:Empty red-zone with silent, USAR / TF graffitied ruins, steel-mesh fences & shipping-container cordons. A steel-mesh- fence-cordon sign:

NO THROUGH
     TRAFFIC
   PROPERTY
      ACCESS
        ONLY

Beyond a parking garage behind Lichfield St steel-mesh-fence-cordon, an orange-digger demolished a ruin in clouds of dust. I tied my scarf round my mouth & nose, fearing asbestos-pollution.


30.08.11. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Recently opened CBD red zone niche, Lichfield St, post June 13 quake


30.08.11. Quake damaged, steel mesh fence cordoned, USAR / TF graffitied bldg, red zone, Lichfield St, post June 13 quake

Between Lichfield St & Tuam St, behind a steel-mesh-fence-cordon, two orange-diggers were parked on empty demolition- sites. Post-quakes, about half of Christchurch CBD's buildings would be demolished.


30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger demolition of quake trashed bldg, Lichfield St red zone, post June 13 quake



At the side of Lichfield St St steel-mesh-fence-cordon, I trekked through a fence opening into a carpark by recently reopened business-buildings. I snapped more pics of the demolition & empty demolition-sites between Lichfield St & Tuam St to Colombo St. I didn't know then, the area would become the temporary bus-exchange, then Hoyts EntX. The new Bus Interchange would be built across Colombo St.


30.08.11. Lichfield St view, quake damaged high rises: Hotel Grand Chancellor left, Westpac middle, Holiday Inn right, red zone, Christchurch CBD, post June 13 quake. The 3 high rises would be demolished


A backdrop of east-side multi-storey ruins: Hotel Grand Chancellor; Westpac; Holiday Inn (all would be demolished); Colombo St ruined-shops; multi-storey, old Council ruin, Tuam St which would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange.


30.08.11. Post quake demolition sites, west side Colombo St, post June 13 quake. Backdrop: east-side, old Colombo St ruined-shops & the old Council ruin. Ruined shops & ruined Council would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange

Demolishers had sanitized ruins, leaving Colombo St a clean movie set: Colombo St east-side ruins awaited demolition. Men in hard- hats & orange Hi-Vis vests wandered empty demolition-sites behind the steel-mesh-fence-cordon: They stared at ruins & took snaps; they nattered in groups; some hung around in a crane-box; some wandered a deserted parking garage, fourth floor. An orange-digger demolished in clouds of dust. I counted two orange-diggers, two orange-cranes, one white-crane behind the steel-mesh-fence-cordon. Only one orange-digger did any work. What a waste of time & money!


30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger, post quake demolition of quake trashed bldg, Lichfield St red zone, post June 13 quake




30.08.11. Two orange diggers, 2 orange cranes, 1 white crane, post quake demolition sites & quake damaged parking garage, Lichfield St red zone, post June 13 quake


30.08.11. Post quake demolition sites & Colombo St east side, quake damaged bldgs, post June 13 quake. Old Council bldg backdrop. East side shops & Council bldg would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange



While I snapped by a steel-mesh-fence-cordon, a chinless buck-toothed lady in orange Hi-Vis vest, sans hard-hat & wearing joggers, pointed at my jandals & twice barked, "This is not a public area!"

"You're talking nonsense!" I said. "Where's your hard-hat & steel-capped boots?" She shut up & left. Why Hi-Vis vest Fools wanted to boss public around was beyond me?


30.08.11. Business carpark view, post quake demolition sites & Colombo St east side bldgs awaiting demolition, post June 13 quake. Backdrop: Quake damaged Holiday Inn left & old Council bldg right. Both bldgs would be demolished


Her steel-mesh-fence-cordoned carpark was behind empty demolition-sites (soon to be the new, temporary Bus Exchange) & other steel-mesh- fence-cordons closer to Colombo St. Both ends of her steel-mesh-fence-cordoned patch were open, with no official access-restriction notices from Lichfield St side, nor Tuam St side. Her carpark had a couple of skips filled with rubbish. Cardboard-boxes & blue-pallets were strewn by her steel-mesh-fence-cordon.


30.08.11. Tuam St view, post quake demolition sites (soon to be the new, temp Bus Exchange) & parking garage. Central Police bldg behind left would be imploded 31.05.15. New Council bldg behind


30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake survivor, Council bldg, would become Tuam Library in 2012
 

I trekked closer to Tuam St steel-mesh-fence-cordon, while snapping damages & silent, orange, Hi-Vis vested men behind the cordon-fence. A person was killed there in the 22 February 2011 Quake, Tuam St / Colombo St.

Southwards down Colombo St, 15 people were killed by the 22 February 2011 Quake, ruin-bricks falling on seven killed pedestrians & eight people killed in the Sumner 702 (updated number 3) red bus.

I still got angry when questioning why those brick ruins weren't condemned & demolished post 4 September 2010 Quake? Dithering authorities, hounded by Heritage-hailers, had more than enough time to demolish unreinforced, old, brick ruins, as aftershock warnings had continued between the 4 September 2010 Quake & the 22 February 2011 Quake.

Lichfield St - Tuam St: Buildings in the red-zone niche still had USAR / TF graffiti on ruined shop-windows & shop-doors. Behind the steel-mesh-fence-cordon, a ruin's first-floor red-corner was nylon-strapped against aftershocks.


30.08.11. Nylon strapped, quake damaged bldg, Tuam St red zone, post June 13 quake


30.08.11. ROAD CLOSED. Tuam St, steel mesh fence cordoned, red zone, post June 13 quake. Old Council bldg left would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange


30.08.11. Tuam St / Colombo St, post June 13 quake: 8 people were killed in the Sumner 702 (updated number 3) red bus, masonry falling from old, unreinforced bldgs nr Mollett St junction


30.08.11. Tuam St / Colombo St, post June 13 quake. The orange, Hi-Vis vested man faced where someone was killed in the Feb 22 quake. Old Council bldg, Tuam St beyond would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange


30.08.11. Tuam St, steel mesh fence cordon view, quake damaged, CBD, red zone bldgs, Colombo St & beyond, post June 13 quake


30.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Former CBD red zone, Tuam St business, post June 13 quake. Cordon closed for 6 months post Feb 22 quake



Tuam St: I snapped more ruined-shops which were USAR / TF graffitied: Mastertrade Plumbing; Drake Leisure Co Ltd; S.I. McHarg Print Finishers... Through Lighthouse shop-windows, I snapped broken-lamps & broken-chandeliers. USAR / TF graffiti marked C meant Clear no bodies.


30.08.11. Quake damaged, Lighthouse shop, Tuam St, closed for 6 months post Feb 22 quake, in CBD, steel mesh fence cordoned, red zone






I returned to my car past an orange-digger loaded on a truck, ready for another demolition. I passed Antigua Boat Shed by sewage-polluted Avon River, then passed damaged Christchurch Hospital.

How long would CERA take to open more CBD niches in the red-zone? How many more Hi-Vis vested Fools would order public around? National government's States-of-Emergencies enabled cops, soldiers & Hi-Vis vested Fools to order citizens around, causing "us & them"!


30.08.11. Green portaloo, Tuam St / Durham St Sth, former red zone, post June 13 quake


30.08.11. Orange digger on truck, ready for another post quake demolition, Tuam St, post June 13 quake

*Trekked Oxford Tce, Lichfield St, Tuam St. 49 snaps.

Wednesday 31.08.11. Aftershocks while I worked on blog pics:

1.15pm, M4.00, depth 5km, within 5km of Lyttelton.

1.30pm, M4.7, depth 11km, 20km SW of Christchurch. Jolted & rumbled our house while I uploaded pics.

2.26pm, M3.4, depth 12km, 20km SW of Christchurch. (GeoNet).

31.08.11. Christchurch Mail: "As of yesterday, we have had a staggering 2 684 aftershocks of magnitude 3.0 or higher batter our region."

Regarding insurance: "The Earthquake Commission (EQC) has received more than 388 000 claims for the Canterbury earthquakes, since September last year...

The Canterbury and Christchurch earthquakes are likely to rank globally as the fourth most costly for insurers since 1970 - after Northbridge, California, in 1994, the [M]9.0 earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan in March this year, and Kobe, Japan in 1995."

Coda:

Fri 02.09.11. 3.29am, M4.9, depth 6km, 10km E of Lyttelton. (GeoNet).

Sat 03.09.11. Weekend Press. EQC's incompetence since the 4 September 2010 Quake a year before:

"STATS...

All events include aftershocks.

No of claims 383 501
Open 324 336
Closed 59 165
Total paid to date $1 321 980 700"

After 1 year, EQC's successfully closed payouts, just 15%. NZ National government said EQC's liability to quakes had increased by $4 billion to about $7 billion.

Sunday 04.09.11. Sunny spring afternoon. Anniversary of the 4 Septemberf 2010 Quake. City circuit drive, CBD, eastern suburbs:

Rolleston Ave: CBD sanitized zone. Busy scene, citizens, tourists viewed outside photo-poster exhibition, on the footpath by Christ's College & Canterbury Museum. Drawing people back into the CBD. Citizens & tourists strolled Worcester Blvd past the Arts Centre ghost.

Hereford St / Cambridge Tce: CBD sanitized zone, by old, brick Library Chambers ruin, steel-mesh-fence-cordoned, awaiting demolition.

Cambridge Tce: CBD sanitized zone. Citizens, tourists & rubberneckers viewed the red-zone ruined CBD, across sewage-polluted Avon River: cordoned, ruined-restaurants, ruined-high-rises, ruined-streets. Bridge of Remembrance had a steel-mesh-fence-cordon across the middle The bridge pulsed with rubberneckers & cameras. Cordoned Cashel Mall  was full of demolition-sites.

New normal post-quake scene: South Library, Colombo St. Citizens enjoyed coffee, read books, magazines & newspapers, selected books & DVDs. Citizens watched a plasma-screen-TV & worked on computers. South Library was more crowded due to Central Library closure & closures of many other Council libraries.

Later on, South Library, south wall would be steel-braced, staying open for the public. Pre-quakes, it was built too close to Heathcote River & would need post-quake strengthening.

New normal, Eeastern suburbs: I drove past Bromley sewage-ponds undergoing repairs.

Estuary Rd, South New Brighton: Many orange-plastic-road-cones, due to pipe-excavations in the road. (Cut to night view of New Brighton Pier, purple-lit along the pier length. Boozers at seaside bars. Bowhill Rd... Bower Ave... New Brighton Rd... still potholed & bumpy!)

Breezes Rd, Wainoni Rd: Scabby, patch repairs. Houses being repaired.

Damaged eastern suburbs, unchanged over the last few months. Bumpy, shingled Avonside Dr by Porritt Park. Shingled stopbank. Red-zone ruined-houses. Grey quakemire dust.

I drove the bumpy, shingled Kerrs Rd detour, past steel-mesh-fence-cordoned, Avonside Dr by Kerrs Reach / sewage- polluted Avon River. Ruuined-houses. Grey quakemire dust.

I drove the bumpy detour along Torlesse St to Avonside Dr. Some shingle repairs to Torlesse St. Grey quakemire dust.

I drove along shingled, bumpy red-zoned Avonside Dr to Avonside Girls HS ruin by sewage-polluted Avon River. Shingle stopbank. Desolation: trashed road, trashed footpaths, red-zone ruined-houses. Some houses were inhabited, some had mowed grass. Avonside Dr ruined- houses were unsanitized, gardens were overgrown. Grey, quakemire dust.

I looked across shitty Avon River to River Rd ruined houses. Grey, quakemire dust.

Stanmore Rd: Borderland between eastern broken, dirty suburbs & red-zoned, dirty CBD & cleaner western suburbs.

Stanmore Rd / London St: Richmond Working Mens Club demolition side-wall was tidied with with black-plastic, after weeks of demolition bashings.

London St / Fitzgerald Ave: Blue National election fence poster of grinning, PM Key & election slogan: BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

Sunday 4 September 2011. Evening. The 4 September 2010 Quake anniversary:

TV1 news farce: Minister of Earthquake Recovery, Brownlee sat on a white plastic-chair inside the CBD red-zone steel-mesh-fence-cordon, viewing the sanitized Lichfield St, Colombo St, Tuam St niche. Brownlee wore his red CERA jacket & apologized to red-zoners for his gaffe about payments for home improvements. Slow insurers & slow EQC needed ass kicking by Brownlee, who would do lots of public apologizing for CERA's zoning delays over the next few years.

TV1 news, evening. Male news-reader, dressed in a black suit, jabbered by Christ Church Cathedral ruin.

Cut to dog-collared, Christ Church Cathedral dean, oinking inanities, like his post-quake TV ads. (The dean would soon resign, becaming a councillor, briefly).

Cut to Christ Church Cathedral choirboys in red-cassocks, in the CBD red-zone. They sang by ruined Christ Church Cathedral that night. A solo was sung by a curly red-haired boy. Choirboys also wore orange Hi-Vis vests & plastic hard-hats. Red back-lighting shone on Christ Church Cathedral's rubble. A little blonde girl, sucking her cheeks in, wore a plastic hard-hat & a yellow Hi-Vis vest. She switched on the blue-lights of hope: two blue light-columns gyrating in the night sky above Christ Church Cathedral ruin until 23 February. (Reminiscent of 1930's, Nazi architect Speer's Cathedral of Light columns in the night sky for Hitler's Nuremberg Rally). What was Brownlee thinking?

Sunday 04.09.11. 7.41pm, M4.4, depth 7km, 20km W of Christchurch (GeoNet). Disturbed our Fathers Day supper.

Early Monday morning, 05.09.11. Starry night sky, spoilt by blue-light columns gyrating above, like fascist search-lights.

March 2013. More than two years post 22 February 2011 Quake, Christchurch's CBD would still be red-zoned & CERA occupied. Citizens were still banned! Christchurch's CBD was symbolized by CERA occupation, cops, NZDF-soldiers, Hi-Vis vested Fools, threat-signs & fence-cordons.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See EQC

See Building a Brighter Future, NZ National party

Shipping-Container Sumner, DANGER ROCKFALL HAZARD

Sumner rockfall focus. In 1995-96, we'd lived our first NZ winter, spring & summer in Denman St, Sumner, before moving to Halswell. Sumner: warm, north facing, Port Hills valley, facing the Pacific, two sides of the valley flanked by Richmond Hill bluffs westwards, Scarborough bluffs eastwards, Evans Pass winding its way to Lyttelton up the back of Sumner valley.

I'd already seen rockfall damage to some Sumner ruins: RSA, Sumner Borough Council, Ruptured Duck restaurant, Croquet Club, Wakefield Ave. It was time for snapping more Sumner ROCKFALL HAZARD post 22 February 2011 Quake & two months post 13 June 2011 Quake.


27.08.11. Scarborough view, Sumner rock fall hazard, post June 13 quake. See shipping containers & Anglican Church along Wakefield Ave below cliffs. Clifton beyond

Sat 27.08.11. Nayland St: Below the sea cliff, newly blasted rock-dust blew off the fresh cliff face. Cliff rockfalls were cordoned by shipping-containers below Sumner cliff. Steel-mesh-fence-cordoned Sumner Borough Council / Community building was gone, a demolition-site, opposite the fish & chips shop. Another small demolition-site was nearby. Ruptured Duck restaurant was gone, a demolition-site. Another demolition-site by the library.


27.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Sumner Borough Council / Community bldg, demolition site, Nayland St / Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon, catching quake rock fall below cliff, Nayland St, post June 13 quake

I trekked along Nayland St, Marriner St, & Wakefied Ave, snapping ruined houses: Round the corner a steel-mesh-fence / shipping- container-cordon blocked Nayland St, protecting housing from Clifton rockfalls. Home-owners had installed mining-roofbolts & steel-mesh above garages & new flats. No rockfalls there. Old stone-steps above a footpath were cracked, a bench & stone shelter was DANGER plastic-barrier-taped.


27.08.11. Quake damaged garages, Nayland St, post June 13 quake. Mining roof bolts & steel mesh held left side of cliff intact during quakes


27.08.11. Steel mesh fence / shipping container cordon protecting Nayland St housing from rock fall hazard, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Quake cracked garden steps, Nayland St, post June 13 quake

Nayland St / Marriner St: A two-storey ruined-house was boarded.

Marriner St: I trekked past pubs & restaurants. A demolition-site sign:

Farewell Rockvilla

Thank you to the gentleman that opened the front door after the earthquake, and to all out families, friend and neighbours and strangers for your good wishes.

A very special thanks to Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade, wives and associates.

We've loved living here, it's been a lovely home and we'll miss being "Rockvillians."

Buildings don't make good times, they don't make families and they don't make communities. People do and we live in an awesome community. Go Sumner, Go Christchurch, Go Canterbury. Thanks New Zealand.

Love Rockvillians.


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon. Quake damaged, boarded house, Nayland St / Marriner St, post June 13 quake




27.08.11. Blue portaloo, WW1 memorial lights, Sumner Beach, Marriner St, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. House demolition site, Marriner St, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Quake damaged, boarded house, Marriner St, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Farewell Rockvilla sign, demolition site gate, Marriner St, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Demolition site, Ruptured Duck restaurant, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Demolition site by Sumner library, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. DANGER KEEP OUT. Red, plastic tape, steel mesh fence cordon. Demolition site, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake

Wakefield Ave: A demolition-site's steel-mesh-fence-cordon sign:

The
HEADLESS
MEXICAN

OPEN AGAIN

A DANGER threat-sign hung next to it.


27.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Sumner Borough Council / Community bldg, demolition site, Wakefield Ave / Nayland St, post June 13 quake

Wakefield Ave: I trekked past dusty demolition-sites. Beyond the closed garage, starting at rockfall damaged RSA ruins, a long line of two-layered shipping-containers cordoned the cliff-side of Wakefield Ave below Sumner cliff.


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


Shipping-containers protected traffic & walkers from rockfalls & obscured cliff-side ruins: RSA ruins; apartments' construction below Sumner cliff; Croquet Club with new rock-fans below the cliff, fallen rocks on croquet lawns. Further on, All Saints Anglican Church still stood below Sumner cliff. The greystone church stood unbroken between the cliff & the shipping-container cordon.

1995. When we'd stayed at Sumner, we'd attended All Saints Anglican Church. By 2015 the church would be demolished


27.08.11. Quake tilted power pole. Rock fall hazard, Sumner Croquet Club, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake. By 2015 Sumner Croquet Club would be demolished



I looked through gaps between shipping-containers at rockfall hazards, Sumner cliff looming over Wakefield Ave. Beyond the church were red-stickered ruined-houses below Sumner cliff. At Arnold St junction the shipping-container cordon ended, briefly.


27.08.11. Gaps in shipping container cordon, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Green portaloo, Arnold St / Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake

Wakefield St / Denman St junction: Below Richmond Hill bluffs, I trekked past a stable by a cliff-side rockfall. Capt Thomas Track was closed due to rockfall hazard.


27.08.11. Feb 22 quake, rock fall hazard, cliff opp Denman St / Wakefield Ave junction, post June 13 quake


Wakefield St / Campbell St junction: Shipping-containers completely cordoned Wakefield Ave to Paisley St, traffic detouring past Van Asch Deaf Education Centre. Opposite Richmond Hill bluffs, I trekked a shipping-container / footpath alley beside housing & closed Capt Thomas Courts, boarded & red-stickered.

Capt Thomas Courts were Council flats for the poor, elderly & infirm. (Post-quakes, boarded Council flats were seen all over Christchurch). I snapped a City Council Manager letter, an example of bullying of tenants in Christchurch Council flats. The letter was attached to a Council flat door:

Dear Tenants

Structural Assessment of your Rental Unit

As a result of the Structural Assessment of your rental unit which is in response to the recent earthquake, your unit has been assessed as being damaged. Please note that this does not apply to the whole complex. [The last sentence had a pen line drawn through it].  

Entry to your unit is restricted and in the interests of your safety you may only enter to remove your property in company with a Christchurch City Council representative.

We have boarded your unit windows / doors to protect your property. We have also changed your door lock to remove any temptation to continue to occupy the unit.

If you are unable to stay with a relative or friends we suggest you go to a Welfare Centre at either:

*Pioneer Stadium - 75 Lyttelton Street
*Burnside High School - Greers Road [Near our home].

Please contact us on ... to make arrangements to access your unit to remove your possessions and to future accommodation options.

We regret the need for this action and will do our utmost to accommodate you as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

Kevin Bennett

City Housing Manager
Christchurch City Council

Pioneer Stadium & Burnside HS were both across town, miles from Sumner! Post 22 February 2011 Quake, media reported about elderly evacuated from rest homes & transported to safer towns, where they were dumped. Families took weeks to find them.

2014. Although Christchurch had more Council flats than any other NZ city, Christchurch deputy mayor Vicky Buck wished Council would retain Council flats at ratepayers' expense! As Council had little spare cash post-quakes, Council would decide to lease Council flats to a private lessee to manage upkeep & tenants. In NZ's welfare-state, it was NZ government's responsibility (Housing NZ) to provide state housing for the poor, elderly & infirm. Not Council!



27.08.11. Alley by shipping container cordon, Campbell St / Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake. Closed Evans Pass up Port Hills beyond


27.08.11. Steel mesh / shipping container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake



27.08.11. Wakefield Ave view, rock fall hazard, Richmond Hill bluffs, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Rock fall hazard #9, shipping container alley, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Steel mesh / shipping container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Garden rock fall hazard, red stickered, boarded, Capt Thomas Courts, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Duncan St / Wakefield Ave junction, post June 13 quake




27.08.11. Red stickered, closed, Capt Thomas Courts, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake. Scarborough bluffs beyond




27.08.11. Bullying Christchurch City Council letter, Capt Thomas Courts, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake. Tenants were booted out, not only in Sumner, for their own safety



Wakefield Ave: Shipping-container gaps were wire-meshed & secured by steel-cables. Behind shipping-containers, fallen rocks lay on Wakefield Ave between Campbell St & Paisley St junctions. Vertical-accelerations in the 22 February 2011 Quake blasted rocks out of Richmond Hill, rocks falling onto Wakefield Ave & housing beyond. Some Wakefield Ave fallen rocks were numbered with yellow spray-paint.


27.08.11. Steel mesh / shipping container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


There were tons of fallen rocks on Sumners' border roads & nearby properties below cliffs & bluffs. Post-quakes, over the last few months rock blaster teams roamed Port Hills, dropping loose rocks on shipping-container besieged Sumner. Fallen rocks on Wakefield Ave & Heberden Ave: I was unsure whether they'd fallen during quakes, or fallen by human cause: Geotech explosions?


27.08.11. Red stickered house, rock fall hazard #44, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon, Paisley St / Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake


Wakefield Ave beyond Paisley St junction: Below bluffs, I trekked past several red-stickered ghost-houses. Capt Thomas Track was DANGER plastic-barrier-tape closed. On fences & gates were Geovert threat signs:

           DANGER
ROCKFALL HAZARD

27.08.11. Rock fall hazard threat sign, white, plastic, DANGER taped, red stickered house, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake








27.08.11. Council quake notice on Van Asch Deaf Education Centre sign, Wakefield Ave, post June 13 quake

I trekked past Van Asch Deaf Education Centre's gate, a Council RECOVERING AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE sign was on the school board. Rockfall endangered Redcliffs School shared school facilities at Van Asch Deaf Education Centre. Early days of our Christchurch stay, I'd gone for two job interviews at Van Asch.

I trekked past Sumnervale below Richmond Hill, then headed towards Scarborough bluffs. Past the bus-stop by closed Evans Pass, a road sign:

    NO ACCESS
TO LYTTELTON

2015. Evans Pass to Lyttelton would still be closed.

2016. Evans Pass would be rebuilt by SCIRT.

Mar 2019. Rebuilt Evans Pass would reopen.


27.08.11. Bottom of closed Evans Pass Rd, post June 13 quake. Scarborough bluffs above



Ocean View Tce: I snapped broken-houses. A team of workmen removed tiles from a damaged roof. I cut down stone-steps to Heberden Ave where the road was thrice obstructed by Scarborough bluffs rockfalls & shipping-container cordons, an obstacle-course for traffic, but OK for walkers, as more shipping-container / footpath alleys sidled past two container cordons protecting housing from rockfalls.


27.08.11. Quake damaged house, Ocean View Tce, post June 13 quake





Heberden Ave: I trekked past new housing built below Scarborough bluffs, some houses built on cliff-sides, some ghost-houses red- stickered. Some big houses were squeezed between roadside & cliff-side. Grey quakemire still lay roadside.


27.08.11. Liquefaction mud heap, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Quake damaged house, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake





Heberden Ave: New houses were built after we'd left Sumner in 1996. What deals were done by engineers, architects, builders, home owners & Council consenters to build houses in dangerous places below cliffs & bluffs?


27.08.11. Grey portaloo, walkers, shipping container cordon, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Red stickered, quake damaged house, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake



27.08.11. Cliff side house, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake




Heberden Ave / Truro St junction: Shipping-ontainers cordoned Heberden Ave, where two big rocks had fallen from bluffs, smashing through Van Asch Deaf Education Centre's steel-mesh-fence, stopping behind rugby-field goal-posts. Parked on Truro St was a boat named EXTREME. I snapped the red-stickered Scouts Den opposite the rugby-field. Some Heberden Ave fallen rocks were numbered with green spray-paint. Some bluff rocks were spray-painted with pink numbers too.


27.08.11. Van Asch Deaf Education Centre entrance, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon, Van Asch Deaf Education Centre, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Rock fall hazard #35, Van Asch Deaf Education Centre, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Rock fall hazard, Van Asch Deaf Education Centre rugby field, Truro St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake




27.08.11. Grey portaloo, Truro St, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Red stickered Scouts Den, Truro St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


Heberden Ave: ROAD CLOSED. I snapped several red-stickered cliff-side ghost-houses.


27.08.11. Red stickered house, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake



27.08.11. Shipping container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Truro St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake



27.08.11. Red stickered house, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake





Heberden Ave / Campbell St to Heberden Ave / Arnold St junctions: Another shipping-container-cordon obstructed traffic. A shipping-container / footpath alley enabled walkers to pass fallen rocks on the road.


27.08.11. Heberden Ave view, Richmond Hill bluffs, rock fall hazard, post June 13 quake


27.08.11.Shipping container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake. Scarborough bluffs, rock fall hazard above


27.08.11. Scarborough bluff, rock fall hazard #5, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Quake damaged, cliff side house, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


Heberden Ave: I snapped a small drill-rig on a high Scarborough bluff used by workmen blasting lethal rocks. A man in his driveway asked, "Why're you taking photographs?"


27.08.11. Drill rig above rock fall hazard, Scarborough bluffs, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


"I write a blog..." He was the second Heberden Ave resident to ask. Jumpy home-owners below rockfall hazards. Media had reported burglars snapping abandoned houses before thieving.


27.08.11. Shipping container alley against rock fall hazard, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake. Scarborough bluffs, rock fall hazard above





27.08.11. Housing protected by rock fall hazard containers, Heberden Ave. Richmond Hill backdrop

I snapped more red-stickered ghost-houses built above & below cliffs. I passed several portaloos: orange, red, green & grey. Sumner was in deep shit!


27.08.11. Cliff top housing, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Red portaloo, cliff side housing, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake






Heberden Ave: I passed a small roadside rockfall by Sumner Tennis & Squash Club, while people played afternoon tennis below Scarborough bluffs. By roadside oil-drums & a sewage-smelly stream, a walkway was closed below Scarborough's & Sumner's cliff-side new housing. A Council threat-sign on a fence:

    TRACK CLOSED
            DUE TO
ROCKFALL HAZARD

A hand-written notice below the Council sign:

Rock stabilization work in progress above.
To arrange access please contact
... Thanks for your patience.

Post-quakes, many Port Hills tracks would be closed for years due to rockfall hazard. Example: Godley Head Track would only reopen in March 2013, while other tracks were still closed. That would leave frustrated walkers, frustrated mountain bikers & frustrated rock climbers in Christchurch.


27.08.11. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Rock fall hazard, Sumner Tennis & Squash Club, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake



27.08.11. Track Closed due to Rock fall Hazard, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


Heberdon Ave / Wiggens St to Heberden Ave / Nayland St junctions: A huge rockfall blocked Heberden Ave, shipping-containers blocking traffic, cliff vegetation crushed, red-stickered ghost-houses. DANGER KEEP OUT red-plastic-barrier-tape hung between shipping-containers. Fallen rocks were truck size. I slipped between shipping-containers for a closer look at fallen rocks by red-stickered ghost-housing. I felt that creepy feeling again. Stillness. No birds sang.

Months later, Council would red-sticker shipping-containers, trying to stop people going behind shipping-containers. Council wasn't so safety- conscious pre-quakes, allowing old buildings to stay unstrengthened for decades! Never mind Council's safety-complacency post 4 September 2010 Quake & post 26 December 2010 Quake. Business as usual then. 


27.08.11. Quake tilted power poles, grey portaloo, shipping container cordon, Wiggins St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake

27.08.11. DANGER KEEP OUT. Red, plastic tape / container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Wiggins St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake















27.08.11. Red stickered house, Wiggins St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake



27.08.11. Wiggins St view, container cordon. Rock fall hazard, Scarborough bluffs above Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake

I detoured through Sumner to Nayland St again. The Chocolate shop was closed below the cliff at the end of Nayland St & Edwin Mouldey Track which went up the cliff to Scarborough Rd, also closed.


27.08.11. Container cordon. Rock fall hazard by Edwin Mouldey Track, Nayland St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake. Closed chocolate shop on cnr



Heberden Ave: I trekked the shipping-container alley, cordoning rocks & obstructing traffic, to Scarborough Reserve. The roadside stream was sewage-smelly.


27.08.11. Shipping container cordon by chocolate shop, Nayland St / Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Shipping container alley by rock fall hazard, below Edwin Mouldey Track, Heberden Ave, post June 13 quake


The Esplanade: I trekked from high tide Scarborough Beach to Sumner Beach. Cave Rock was DANGER plastic-barrier-taped, steel-mesh- fence-cordoned rockfall hazard, entry forbidden to Sumner Beach cave. West side of Cave Rock, rocks had fallen onto the beach. Rocks had fallen by the cave mouth too.

 A steel-mesh-fence-cordon threat-sign:

      HEALTH WARNING
CONTAMINATED WATER...

     POLLUTED
       WATER
PLEASE AVOID
    CONTACT...

Many of those threat-signs were seen along riverbanks & Avon / Heathcote Estuary shore.

Another threat-sign:

    DANGER
     DO NOT
      ENTER
   LOOSE AND
FALLING ROCK


27.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Rock fall hazard, Cave Rock, Sumner Beach, post June 13 quake



Concrete-paving was cracked by Cave Rock & a nearby restaurant. At one place by Cave Rock, quakes had angle-raised 10cm thick concrete- paving by half a metre. A beach retaining-wall was broken. Road tarseal was cracked. A sinkhole was orange-plastic-road-cone-cordoned near the Jutland WW1 memorial-plinth, also cracked.


27.08.11. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake raised concrete slab, Cave Rock, post June 13 quake



POLLUTED WATER threat-signs hung on Cave Rock's steel-mesh-fence-cordon, as Avon River & Heathcote River were open-sewers, sewage-pipes were trashed.


27.08.11. DANGER DO NOT ENTER. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake damaged Sumner Beach retaining wall, Cave Rock, post June 13 quake



27.08.11. Grey / blue portaloo. Steel mesh fence cordoned, rock fall hazard, Cave Rock, Sumner Beach

As my Samsung camera battery was low, I returned the next day Sunday with Leah, snapping Cave Rock, trekking Sumner again. Sumner's shipping- container bordered valley was unique. There was nothing else like broken Sumner in broken Christchurch.


27.08.11. Quake sinkhole, quake cracked tarseal, Cave Rock, Sumner Beach, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Quake damaged restaurant, Cave Rock, Sumner Beach, post June 13 quake


27.08.11. Quake cracked, WW1 Jutland memorial plinth, Cave Rock, Sumner Beach, post June 13 quake

Nearly a year post 4 September 2010 Quake & six months post 22 February 2011 Quake, all Sumner roads I trekked had roadside portaloos, showing Sumner's underground sewage-pipes were ruined.


27.08.11. Beige portaloo, Burgess St, post June 13 quake

When I checked the following Sumner streets, Nayland St, Marriner St, Wakefield Ave, Heberden Ave, Esplanade , CERA's Landcheck website classified them all white-zone, "mapping still underway." Despite all Council's red-stickers & rockfall tonnage on the sides of Sumner valley, CERA mappers were far too slow! CERA would delay many Port Hills zonings and CERA / Council conflicts would  increase.

*Trekked Nayland St, Marriner St, Wakefield Ave, Ocean View Tce, Heberden Ave, Esplanade. 179 snaps.

Coda:

The Press, 06.09.11 would report recent zoning changes: "Areas that have been rezoned green include most of Lyttelton, Sumner, Scarborough, Redcliffs, Mt Pleasant, Cashmere, Heathcote, Westmorland and Kennedys Bush. However, large parts of Cashmere, Lyttelton, Sumner and Clifton Hill remain white, particularly streets further up the hillside..." White zones would have to wait for more geotech jabbering & CERA delays.

Sun 14.02.16. Valentines Day, M5.7 quake. Rockfalls at Godley Head, Sumner's Richmond Hill, Peacocks Gallop.

In future years Council would do a lot of work removing fallen rocks & stabilizing cliffs & bluffs, protecting against rockfalls below Sumner cliffs & bluffs:

Peacocks Gallop: Ghost houses would be demolished above marine cliffs. Rocks would be blasted from the bluff opposite Shag Rock. Rocky benches & bunds would be created below the cliffs. Some cliffs would have rock-bolts inserted, steel mesh suspended from top to bottom. Shipping containers would be removed.

Nayland St / Wakefield Ave: Richmond Hill bluff would be stabilized by rock blasting, a rocky bund created below the cliff.

Wakefield Ave: Below Richmond Hill, all ghost bldgs would be demolished cliff-side, like RSA, Croquet Club, Anglican Church... A rocky bund & rock-filled gabion baskets would be created cliff-side, like at Denman St intersection. Over time, some rock-filled gabion baskets would grow wild grasses, covering rocks & steel. Shipping containers would be removed & a steel fence would be erected in front of the rocky bund & rock filled gabion baskets.

Heberden Ave: Below Scarborough, some ghost houses would be demolished cliff-side of Heberden Ave, some houses would remain. Cliff rock- bolts & suspended steel mesh would protect some housing against rockfall. Shipping containers would be removed.

Heberden Ave / Wiggens St to Nayland St: Ghost houses would be demolished both sides of Heberden Ave. House demolitions would continue below Scarborough cliffs to Nayland St. That section of Heberdon Ave would be closed for good. A grassy park would be created, cnr chocolate shop would be demolished. Shipping containers would be removed. Edwin Mouldey Track would stay closed.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.