Memorial Wall focus. Fri-Sat 24-25.02.17. Two days after opening of Christchurch Quake Memorial Wall, remembering 185 people killed by the 22 February quake, Leah lectured at Seabrook Mackenzie Centre, London St. A Civil Defence State-of-Emergency still went on due to mostly extinguished fires on the Port Hills. The Port Hills fires raged for days, causing a firefighter helicopter-crash (ex SAS soldier / pilot dead) razing 9 houses & endangering many others. Residents of several endangered streets on the Port Hills were evacuated. Port Hill, fire- blackened from Dyers Pass SW towards Coopers Knobs. After 3 quake years, 2010-2013, it was the second disaster hitting Christchurch in 6 years.
Oxford Tce: Friday, while Leah lectured, I examined the new Quake Memorial, Avon River S bank. The Memorial consisted of 3 black, stone-steps on the riverbank below a curved, white, marble-wall below Oxford Tce. Names of 185 dead, carved on the marble-wall. Access from E side of the wall: stone-ramp for wheelchairs beside stainless-steel banisters & balustrade. W side access, off Montreal St Bridge cnr: stone steps, stainless-steel banisters.
Amongst 8 stone & wooden benches, 6 maple saplings were planted on the top step below the wall. Below E ramp & W steps: native plantings, like kahikatea, tussock grasses, astelias, hebes; also exotic plantings, like camellias, rhododendrons. Opposite the Quake Memorial, across Avon River: more flower beds containing flowers & shrubs like Eriostemon.
Floral wreaths were placed on steps below the marble-wall by families of the dead & dignitaries for the 22 February Memorial Service. Bereaved had come from all over the world for the opening of the Quake Memorial, as many overseas people died in the quake, like Japan's Toyama School students,
Wreaths & condolence-cards, still there when I visited: Governor General Reddy, NZ National govt Speaker Carter, NZ National PM English, Mayor Dalziel, Labour opposition leader Little. Also wreaths by embassies & organisations involved & affected: Toyama School, USAR, LANDSAR, NZ Fire Service, St John, NZ Red Cross, NZDF, NZ Police, Civil Defence, Green Party, Ngai Tahu, US Embassy, Turkey Embassy, Malaysia Embassy, Japanese Embassy, Korea Embassy, Philippines Embassy, Samoan Embassy, Chinese Embassy, Ireland Embassy, Canada Embassy, ...
After Leah finished lecturing, we viewed the Quake Memorial Wall together. On the pavement above the Quake Memorial ramp, a big, brown, pounamu stone lay on a plinth, fountain-water flowing over the jade.
Ghosts beyond the Memorial Wall: humans, bldgs, roads would haunt us for the rest of our lives.
Saturday, I looked at Port Hills fire-damage. Fires started on the Port Hills, Feb 13. Slow Civil Defence declared a State-of-Emergency on Feb 15.
Bengal St: From the top, I viewed blackened Sugar Loaf Hill above & below Dyers Pass. Marleys Hill: blackened except for green trees on top. Valley below Dyers Pass & Marleys Hill: blackened from top to bottom.
Shalamar Dr: Near the end , a fire-warning sign stopped me driving to the end of the road. Similar view as above, but showing valley houses weren't destroyed, as firefighters stopped fires encroaching farmland on the valley floor.
Worsleys Rd: At the valley-bottom, a St John ambulance was parked by a Civil Defence tent with CD jobsworths strutting about in orange-Hi-Vis-vests. My quake experiences made me wary of Hi-vis-vested or Hi-vis-jacketed jobsworths! I drove up Worsleys Rd, but before fire-endangered housing near the top I was turned back by a CD roadblock & two clipboarded, jobsworths in orange-Hi-Vis-vests. Having survived 3 years of 15 000 quakes & endured multitudes of NZDF soldiers at roadblocks & obstructive CD, cop, Council, CERA, SCIRT jobsworths in orange or yellow-Hi-Vis-vests, I vowed: "The next jobsworth who stops me can go to hell!"
Westmoreland Hts: I drove to the top, parked my car & climbed through a new CD fence with a fire-warning sign attached. On the grassy hilltop, I had good views of fire-endangered housing at the end of Worsleys Rd & blackened Port Hills, including Sugarloaf, Dyers Pass, Marleys Hill, Hoon Hay Valley, Cass Peak. Hillsides were blackened to ashes & stumps, but valley farms & housing were saved by firefighters.
Some housing at the end of Worsleys Rd was bordered by scorched-earth & razed-trees, Firefighters on the ground & helicopters carrying monsoon-buckets had saved fire-ringed houses.
In the distance where a forest once grew, I saw a smoke-cloud & a digger quelling a hotspot, amidst scorched stumps & ashes. A brown helicopter circled above.
I drove along Cashmere Rd to Hoon Hay Rd where a clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested jobsworth stopped cars at a roadblock. I drove further along Cashmere Rd to take pics of Hoon Hay Valley & damage on Port Hills above. Hoon Hay Valley farms & housing were OK, but Port Hills above were scorched, blackened. Several walkers, bikers, joggers passed while I watched the CD jobsworth blocking public on Hoon Hay Rd.
Drove past Halswell Quarry Reserve to Kennedys Bush Rd. Both Reserve entrances were blocked by clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested jobsworths. Public banned. Parked on Reserve grass: 2 NZ Fire Service helicopters. During my drive, I watched a helicopter circling Port Hills, looking for hot-spots.
Kennedys Bush Rd end: Parked. Wandered to a clipboarded, orange-Hi-Vis-vested roadblock, while other cars & bikes about-turned.
CD jobsworth: "No pedestrians! No rubberneckers! Only residents allowed!"
Me: "I've been here many times before. I'm doing no harm. I've come all the way from Timaru. I want to see what I've watched on TV news all week. I'm taking photographs to show Timaru people!"
CD jobsworth: "Phew!" I wandered past him to the end of Quarry Hill housing, which I'd seen develop over many years, while Luke had piano-lessons with a SA expat down Kennedys Bush Rd. Over the years, I'd walked Kennedys Bush area to Hoon Hay Valley & up to Summit Rd & Cass Peak.
Port Hills fires almost reached Kennedys Bush Rd housing, the reservoir above housing bordered by scorched trees & blackened hillsides. A swathe of lilac, fire-retardant was flown in, covering unburnt grass between reservoir & housing. Port Hills further west: blackened towards Coopers Knobs. Would Port Hills, Governors Bay side, be blackened too? During my Kennedys Bush Rd inspection, a brown helicopter clattered above, then landed at Halswell Quarry Reserve.
Port Hills fires, State-of-Emergency, only lifted a week later. Orange-Hi Vis-vested jobsworths took their time declaring a State-of-Emergency, then buggered public around for two weeks. Excuse: hotspots must be stopped!
Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Port Hills Fires
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