Banks Peninsula / Christchurch

 

Banks Peninsula / Akaroa  23 – 29.02.2016.

During this time we travelled to Christchurch – Akaroa – Christchurch, with most of the time at Akaroa, which would be the most beautiful place we have been to so far. We stayed at a POP (Park Over Property).

It is owned by Graeme Duder who has lived there for 22 yrs. Oscar had a mate to play with named Lily.

I will not write a lot about Akaroa, which used to be a French settlement & still has a French flavour, with the French street names being retained. I will let the pictures tell the story.

 

Shops

Bottom right – Yummy Crepes!!

Cottages.

Giants House Mosaic Garden by artist Josie Martin.

 

Okains Bay & Little Akaloa.

A visit to the most Eastern bays of Banks Peninsula.

 

Little River

On the road to Christchurch.  This is where the train track from Christchurch used to end. It is now a mecca for motorcyclists, cyclists & car clubs for a Sunday run. The cyclists ride out on a rail trail created by removing the train tracks & they can stay overnight in little silo apartments. When we came through on Sunday the place was humming & the coffee shops were doing a roaring trade.

 

 

 

Christchurch

Five years on from the earthquakes we found Christchurch to be a real mix.Areas where no damage had happened, areas well under way with the rebuild, areas with obvious damage & areas that had been tidied up, but they were very empty spaces.

In the city.

Top left- building behind yet to be removed. Wide empty spaces around the Cathedral where movie theatres & shops existed before.

In the suburbs.

Rows of driveways which used to lead to houses, lightly damaged houses in the background. The brick house seemingly undamaged but with no neighbours or services.

These unlucky people had insurance for their houses but the land couldn’t be insured. Some streets had perfectly restorable houses on one side of the road but completely written off houses on the other side. Who was worse off?