Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Wed 08.09.10. Darfield Quake. Day 5. State of Emergency, Christchurch CBD Cordon

Wed 08.09.10. Darfield Quake. Day 5. Aftershock M5.1. That aftershock came from the Port Hills Fault, the same fault which would cause Killer Quake damage 5 months hence, 22.02.11. A memorable day, as I received Facebook birthday wishes from family & friends & focussed on Christchurch CBD, State of Emergency cordon again. Birthday celebrations were on hold for a month, as Jake was helping a friend shovel liquefaction silt from his home, Luke was gawking quake damage with mates. Leah was shopping. They enjoyed the week's holiday provided for Christchurch education institutions by the quake State of Emergency: all schools, techs, varsities closed, to be checked by building inspectors.

Besides the shrinking CBD cordon, I snapped quake damages at suburban areas like Mona Vale, Riccarton, Avonside.

Mona Vale restaurant: Roof damage. Yellow crane truck on driveway.

Kilmarnock St: Concrete block wall collapsed onto pavement.

Riccarton Rd near Riccarton Mall: Several old, brick shops, plastic, POLICE tape cordoned due to collapsed brick parapets. The old, brick bldgs would be demolished overnight.


08.09.10.Yellow crane truck, quake damaged Mona Vale restaurant roof, off Fendalton Rd, state of emergency. Post 2011 quakes, Mona Vale would be restored


08.09.10. Orange, Hi-Vis vested, international insurance assessor, Bush Inn mall, Riccarton Rd, checking quake claims, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake collapsed, concrete, garden wall, Kilmarnock St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged 90 Riccarton Rd, soon demolished, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged Cartridge World / Advanced Bldgs estd 1923, Riccarton Rd, soon demolished, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg For Sale, next to Advanced Bldgs estd 1923, Riccarton Rd, soon demolished, state of emergency

Next day when, I trekked past those demolished Riccarton Rd sites, just rubble heaps. Authorities like CD & USAR / TF had used the State of Emergency to demolish quake damaged bldgs asap, for public safety. Never mind bldg owner's or tenants' permissions, or even telling them. (The Star).

Heritage hailers wanted to preserve old, Victorian heritage bldgs, but weren't prepared to pay. Heritage hailers wanted owners of heritage bldgs to pay the quake damage bill, despite it being cheaper to demolish & replace with a new quake proof bldg. e.g. Ascot TV business, an old, quake damaged, brick bldg, Colombo St, Sydenham: Owner's insurance covered the cost of demolition & rebuild, but not restoring the new bldg to look "old" Victorian again. The owner felt Council should pay the extra, if they wanted to retain his heritage bldg in Sydenham (The Press).

Cranmer Sq: Brick gables fallen off Cranmer Centre, plastic POLICE taped; steel mesh fence cordoned. Brick rubble on ground below the 3 storey bldg.


08.09.10. Wedding photos, quake damaged Cranmer Centre, Cranmer Sq, state of emergency. Cranmer Centre would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake


08.09.10. Quake damaged roof, Cranmer Centre, Montreal St, state of emergency. Metal quake proofing of gables useless. Tarp covered & wood braced within a week. Cranmer Centre would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake


08.09.10. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake damaged roof, Cranmer Centre, Montreal St, state of emergency. Metal quake proofing of gables useless. Tarp covered & wood braced within a week. Cranmer Centre would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake

Gloucester St / Montreal St: Many orange, Hi-Vis vested & orange, Hi-Vis jacketed CD blokes wandering the foyer of Christchurch Art Gallery, Civil Defence HQ. Public banned.


08.09.10. Orange, Hi-Vis jacketed, Civil Defence volunteers entering Christchurch Art Gallery / Civil Defence HQ, Gloucester St entrance, state of emergency


08.09.10. Closed doors, public banned, Christchurch Art Gallery / Civil Defence HQ, Montreal St doors, state of emergency


08.09.10. Closed doors, public banned, Christchurch Art Gallery / Civil Defence HQ, Montreal St doors, state of emergency


08.09.10. Grey District Civil Defence car parked by Christchurch Art Gallery / Civil Defence HQ, Worcester Blvd, state of emergency


08.09.10. Returned Services Association door, green stickered, Armagh St, state of emergency. All Armagh St doors I passed were green stickered

It seemed quake bldg inspectors were completing bldg inspections in CBD cordons first, then fanning out into suburbs. Most bldgs I saw on Armagh St were green stickered.


08.09.10. Quake shattered windows, Colombo St, state of emergency. Broken windows were soon boarded up

Victoria Sq: All statues OK, including the Boer War, Queen Victoria statue.


08.09.10. NZDF soldiers going to state of emergency cordon duty, Cambridge Tce / Gloucester St, Avon River willows leafing in spring

The State of Emergency cordon had shrunk around Manchester St, allowing public into Cathedral Sq, a bit of Cathedral Sq steel mesh fence cordoned near public toilets, Southern Encounter bldg & the Visitors Centre.

The shrunken cordon I trekked from Cathedral Sq was a rectangle along Colombo St, turning left into St Asaph St, turning left into Madras St crossing Latimer Sq, turning left into Gloucester St  back to Colombo St, quaked Manchester St in the middle, parallel to Colombo St & Madras St.

An overcast, colder day since the sunny day I'd first trekked the bigger cordon two days before. CBD mood reflected that, cordon no longer a novelty: friendly NZDF soldiers, chatty cops. Some cops were overbearing, soldiers more watchful, less friendly compared with two days before. Less inclined to be snapped. In their CBD cordon, cops & NZDF soldiers were under public scrutiny, during the first State of Emergency Christchurch ever had.

From Cathedral Sq, I trekked down Colombo St, cordon on my left, thinking that Christchurch mayor Bob Parker had already praised quake Cantabrians as being "resilient." The cordon had been strengthened with steel mesh fencing, instead of plastic POLICE tape I'd seen two days before.

Colombo St: Cops, NZDF soldiers guarded each intersection cordon fence. Citizens banned inside the CBD cordon.

The Crossing, Colombo St: Steel mesh cordon guarded by 3 yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cops, 4 NZDF soldiers, 1 olive military vehicle. Citizens banned. I would give Deb Donnell permission to publish my pic in her 2 quake books Cafe Reflections & Responders, Keswin Publishing. Deb Donnell had a family owned shop in the vicinity.


08.09.10. 3 yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cops, 4 NZDF soldiers, 1 olive military vehicle, High St / Colombo St crossing, State of Emergency, steel mesh fence cordon. Deb Donnell used this pic in her 2 quake books Cafe Reflections & Responders, Keswin Publishing. Post 2011 quakes, most of the bldgs in the pic would be demolished


08.09.10. Cop disliking public scrutiny, Cashel St / Colombo St, The Crossing, state of emergency cordon. Post 2011 quakes, the bldg would be demolished

When I snapped The Crossing, a cop ordered: "I don't want you photographing me! You can only photograph buildings!" That was after he'd walked up to my raised camera, trying to intimidate me. What made him so special during the State of Emergency, after many snaps had already been taken of cops & military for days? Media was full of cop snaps during the quake State of Emergency.

Colombo St / Lichfield St: Plastic POLICE taped, steel mesh cordon, guarded by 1 yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cop, 4 NZDF soldiers, 1 cop car. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cop & NZDF soldiers, Lichfield St / Colombo St crossing, by The Frontrunner, state of emergency cordon


08.09.10. Yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cop & NZDF soldiers, Lichfield St / Colombo St crossing, by Sushiland (red awning) state of emergency cordon. Post 2011 quakes, most of the bldgs in the pic would be demolished


08.09.10. Lichfield St / Colombo St crossing, yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cop & NZDF soldiers below Sushiland, state of emergency cordon. Post 2011 quakes, most of the bldgs in the pic would be demolished

Colombo St / Tuam St: Plastic POLICE taped, steel mesh cordon, guarded by 3 NZDF soldiers, 1 cop car. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Cop car & NZDF soldiers, Tuam St / Colombo St, by Bean Bags & Beyond, state of emergency cordon. Bean Bags & beyond would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake


08.09.10. Quake damaged R&R Sport bldg, Tuam St / Colombo St, state of emergency cordon. A month later R&R quake damaged wall was boarded up. R&R Sport would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake

Colombo St / St Asaph St: Orange, plastic road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Red stickered, brick, 2 storey, Theme Basics debris, from fallen brick parapets & awnings, had already been removed from the pavement. No cops or NZDF soldiers. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Quake damaged Theme Basics, St Asaph St / Manchester St, state of emergency cordon. A month later the bldg was still smashed with no repairs or demolition. 5 months post quake, bldg still fence cordoned, no repairs. Theme Basics would be demolished post 13.06.11 quake


08.09.10. Quake damaged Theme Basics, St Asaph St / Manchester St, State of Emergency cordon. A month later the red stickered bldg was still smashed with no repairs or demolition. 5 months post quake, bldg still fence cordoned, no repairs. Theme Basics would be demolished post 13.06.11 quake. Most other bldgs in the pic would be demolished too

St Asaph St / Manchester St: Orange, plastic road cones, steel mesh fence cordon guarded by 1 cop, 2 NZDF soldiers. Citizens banned. Brick wall crushed car down Manchester St by Struthers Ln. 2 yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cops hovering. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Rubbernecker & cop, St Asaph St / Manchester St, by the drawing room, undamaged, state of emergency cordon


08.09.10. Cop & NZDF soldiers by the drawing room, undamaged, St Asaph St / Manchester St, state of emergency cordon


08.09.10. St Asaph St, state of emergency cordon view, quake damage down Manchester St. Quake crushed car by Struthers Ln. Post 2011 quakes, all bldgs in the pic would be demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg, fallen parapet, despite quake reinforcement, St Asaph St, state of emergency cordon. Post 2011 quakes, the bldg would be demolished

Frequent quake damages: brick, concrete debris, rubble heaps on roads, pavements, carparks, came from toppled chimneys, gables, parapets; collapsed pavement awnings; wall cracks, wholly or partially collapsed walls.

St Asaph St: A rubbernecker looking for quake souvenirs offered me a brick. I declined. The rubbernecker lay on rubble, so his girlfriend could take a "death" pic. Later on, I found a chunk of roof lead, a good souvenir, on Worcester St Bridge. Quake souvenirs were abundant, as there was so much quake debris on streets.

No fatalities during the Sept 4 Darfield Quake gave a false sense of security in unstable bldgs. I saw a yellow inspection sticker & a green inspection sticker on the same St Asaph St window. Repeated Council inspections by different inspectors caused confusion, as a green sticker signified entry OK, a yellow sticker signified danger! On many bldgs I couldn't see stickers at all.


08.09.10. Confused bldg inspectors' green AND yellow inspection stickers on the same bldg, St Asaph St, state of emergency cordon

St Asaph St / High St: Steel mesh fence cordon guarded by 1 yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cop, 2 NZDF soldiers, 1 cop car. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Cop inside, NZDF soldiers outside High St, state of emergency cordon, a more substantial, fenced cordon, compared to the taped, plastic barrier High St / St Asaph St / Madras St cordon two days prior. CPIT bldg on High St survived the 2010-2013 quakes. Son Luke had attended music shows there


08.09.10. Business closed, quake damaged, red stickered Nurse Maude heritage bldg, Madras St, state of emergency cordon. Aftershocks caused more damage. Nurse Maude would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake

Madras St: Nurse Maude heritage bldg, brick parapet fallen from side wall. It would cost just as much to reinforce & repair Nurse Maude as to demolish & rebuild. Easy choice for Heritage hailers, who didn't pay, not easy for the owner who paid. He lost business during the time the bldg was red stickered / being repaired / demolished & while Council, Heritage hailers & NZ National govt dithered about heritage bldgs. Multiply that 1 000s of times & business confidence imploded during the quake aftermath, people negatively affected by loss of business premises; searches for safer / new business premises; stock, equipment losses; relocation; client, customer losses; working from home, back of trucks, Sunday markets...

Three months post Darfield Quake, business rally, Town Hall: "A cash injection of up to $100 million is needed to keep earthquake affected businesses afloat a Christchurch retailer says." (The Press 30.11.10).


08.09.10. Shipping container before quake damaged Nurse Maude bldg, Madras St, in case aftershocks further damaged the bldg, state of emergency cordon. Aftershocks caused more damage. Nurse Maude would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake


08.09.10. Quake damaged Southern Blues Bar, Madras St, state of emergency cordon. Red stickered, Southern Blues Bar would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake

Madras St / Tuam St: Steel mesh fence cordon, guarded by 2 yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cops, 2 NZDF soldiers, 1 cop car. Citizens banned.

Madras St: Brick rubble on pavement outside Edward Gibbon. Factory Outlet facade cordoned by yellow, plastic tape; shipping containers, protecting pedestrians, vehicle traffic. Bldg red stickered: Danger No Entry! FOX bldg, yellow, plastic tape, orange, plastic, road cone cordoned.



08.09.10. Yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cops & NZDF soldiers, Tuam St / Madras St, state of emergency cordon. Edward Gibbon bldg was trashed by the 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged Edward Gibbon bldg, Madras St, state of emergency cordon. Edward Gibbon bldg was trashed by the 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged FACTORY OUTLET bldg, Madras St, with shipping containers in front, state of emergency cordon. The bldg would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake


08.09.10. Business closed, quake damaged red stickered FACTORY OUTLET bldg, Madras St, state of emergency cordon. The bldg would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake


08.09.10. Quake damaged FOX bldg, Madras St, state of emergency cordon. Post 2011 quakes, most bldgs in the pic would be demolished, incl FOX


08.09.10. Roof damaged FOX bldg, Madras St, state of emergency cordon. Post 2011 quakes, FOX would be demolished

Madras St / Bedford Row: Steel mesh fence cordon, guarded by 4 NZDF soldiers. Stable bldg, more brick rubble fallen from parapet lay on pavement. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Aftershock damage, old, brick stable, Madras St. Two days before, the road was clear of debris. State of emergency, steel mesh fence cordon. The stable would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake. 2018. Concrete, tilt slab flats were built on site


08.09.10. Bedford Row / Madras St crawling with NZDF soldiers, state of emergency cordon. A month later Bedford Row by Manchester St was still fence cordoned. IR bldg right survived the quakes. Post 2011 quakes, most bldgs in the pic would be demolished

Madras St / Cashel St: St Pauls Trinity Pacific Presbyterian Church, scaffolded, white, plastic, POLICE tape cordoned. Olive military vehicle drove across the intersection. Diag opp cnr, CTV multistorey: It would pancake collapse in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake, killing 115 people.


08.09.10. Olive military vehicle, Madras St / Cashel St, state of emergency cordon. St Paul's Trinity Pacific Presbyterian Church was scaffolded for repairs, trashed by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished. Pic was taken from the CTV bldg cnr, where the CTV bldg collapsed in the 22.02.11 quake, killing 115 people

Latimer Sq / Hereford St: White, plastic POLICE taped; orange, plastic road cones; steel mesh fence cordon, 1 olive military vehicle. No cops or NZDF soldiers. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Olive military vehicle, Hereford St, steel mesh fence cordon, Latimer Sq. Two days before, the state of emergency cordon was plastic tape. Hotel Grand Chancellor, was badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished. Post 2011 quakes, most bldgs in the pic would be demolished

Latimer Sq / Worcester St: White, plastic POLICE tape cordon, guarded by 1 yellow, Hi-Vis jacketed cop, 4 NZDF soldiers, 1 cop car. Citizens banned.


08.09.10. Cops & NZDF soldiers, Worcester St / Latimer Sq, state of emergency cordon. Newstalk ZB would be imploded, Aug 2012, enabling NZ National govt's, Blueprint E Frame. Post 2011 quakes, most bldgs in the pic would be demolished

Gloucester St / Manchester St: White, plastic POLICE tape, orange, plastic, road cone cordon, guarded by 1 cop car, 2 NZDF soldiers. Citizens banned.

Gloucester St: Orion electricity generator truck parked opp TVNZ bldg.


08.09.10. Orion electricity generator truck opp TVNZ bldg, Gloucester St, state of emergency, steel mesh fence cordon


08.09.10. Cop car & NZDF soldiers, Gloucester St / Manchester St crossing, state of emergency cordon. Hotel Grand Chancellor behind, was badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished. Post 2011 quake, most bldgs in the pic would be demolished

Durham St Nth / Chester St West: Quake damaged, grey stone, Methodist Church, steel mesh fence cordoned. The Methodist Church would collapse in the 22.02.11 quake, killing 3 people. The Methodist Church would be domolished, rebuilt.

Peterborough St / Park Tce: Weston House, red, plastic, tape cordoned, blue tarped roof, 2 brick chimneys kaput, brick rubble on pavement.


08.09.10. Quake damaged Methodist Church, despite quake reinforcement, Chester St West / Durham St Nth, state of emergency. Aftershocks caused more damage. The Methodist Church would collapse in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake, killing 3 people. The Methodist Church would be demolished & rebuilt


08.09.10. Quake damaged Methodist Church side wall, despite quake reinforcement, Chester St West / Durham St Nth, state of emergency. The Methodist Church would collapsed in the 22.02.11 quake, killing 3 people. The Methodist Church would be demolished & rebuilt


08.09.10. Quake damaged, The Weston House, Peterborough St / Park Tce, state of emergency. The Weston House would be demolished post 13.06.11 quake

Salisbury St: Quake damaged brick house, bricks peeled off walls, parapets, brick rubble in garden.


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg, Salisbury St, outer brick wall collapsed, state of emergency. Many old brick houses had collapsed outer brick walls


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg, Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake debris, Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged, brick parapet, Salisbury St, state of emergency. A month later the quake damaged Salisbury St house had blue & grey plastic tarps covering the damaged wall, with old bricks neatly stacked beside the wall, awaiting repairs.

Victoria St: Strategy bldg, white, plastic, tape cordoned; broken window glass, white taped. The Caxton Press, yellow USAR / TF graffiti on window; white, plastic tape cordoned. Gable brick rubble in carpark. Office furniture on pavement.


08.09.10. Quake broken windows taped, Strategy bldg, Montreal St / Victoria St / Salisbury St intersection, state of emergency. A month later the windows were scaffolded & being re-glazed. Strategy bldg would be demolished post 22.02.11 quake

Victoria St: Away from the CBD cordon, late afternoon shortage of cops, NZDF soldiers, CD. Only plastic tapes, orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordons. Away from CBD, military harassment, I got undisturbed snaps of quaked bldgs in Victoria St & Salisbury St before demolition, sans cops, NZDF soldiers, CD. Another old, 2 storey: walls cracked, loose electric wiring outside, yellow, USAR / TF graffiti on window. Upper brick wall peeled off another 2 storey, opp Knox Presbyterian Church. Brick rubble on pavement, white, plastic, tape cordoned.


08.09.10. Quake damaged, windows boarded, The Caxton Press (cnr section later demolished) Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged, brick gable, The Caxton Press (this cnr later demolished) Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Furniture on Victoria St pavement, The Caxton Press, state of emergency.

Besides quake damaged roads & bldgs & CBD crawling with NZDF soldiers, cops, CD, bldg inspectors, rubberneckers, there were many unusual sights during the State of Emergency: many trucks, cranes in the CBD; workmen suspended in crane boxes high above bldgs; workmen on scaffolding, rooftops; workmen in road holes; roofs, chimneys bandaged with plastic tarps; plastic POLICE tape everywhere, across roads, doors, bldgs; steel mesh fence cordons everywhere; shipping containers before buildings to stop falling debris...

Red, yellow, green inspection stickers on doors; yellow, red, orange, green, pink USAR / TF spray-painted graffiti on doors, walls, pavements, roads; demolition diggers smashing bldgs; early boarding; wood, steel bracing on garden walls & bldg walls stopping collapse; furniture on pavements for relocation.

Victoria St cafe owner sat staring at a pavement table, no customers. Others stared from windows. Others just stood, stared.


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg (soon demolished) Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake cracked wall, loose electric wiring, Victoria St, state of emergency. Bldg would soon be demolished.


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg (soon demolished) Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg (soon demolished) Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Victoria St, orange, plastic, road coned & DANGER taped by yellow, Hi Vis vested workmen, quake state of emergency


08.09.10. Face at a Victoria St window, watching workmen, quake state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg (soon demolished) opp Knox Presbyterian Church, Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Close up, quake damaged bldg (soon demolished) opp Knox Presbyterian Church, Victoria St, state of emergency

Victoria St / Salisbury St: Carlton Massage & Escorts. Vaughan Antiques: Brick parapets, side walls peeled off brick, 2 storey bldg, red, plastic tape, steel mesh fence cordoned. Brick rubble on pavement. Cheesemongers relocated. A post quake carpark would replace the demolished bldg.

Salisbury St: 4 brick bldgs: white, plastic tape cordoned, chimney gone, parapets peeled off, brick rubble on pavement / driveway. Workman on scissor platform removed bricks from the broken chimney.


08.09.10. Quake damaged, Carlton Massage & Vaughan Antiques (soon demolished) Salisbury St / Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged, brick wall & chimney, Vaughan Antiques (soon demolished)  Salisbury St / Victoria St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged Vaughan Antiques (soon demolished) Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Cheesemongers, Salisbury St, state of emergency, had to relocate & lose trade, due to quake damaged Carlton Massage parlour next door, both soon demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldgs (soon demolished) steel mesh fence cordoned, Victoria St / Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Curtains blowing inside quake damaged bldg, despite closed windows, parapets, side walls, roof gone (soon demolished) Victoria St / Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldgs (soon demolished) steel mesh fence cordoned, Victoria St / Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg, Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Workman demolishing a quake damaged chimney, Salisbury St, state of emergency. A month later the chimney wall was boarded up

Montreal St / Kilmore St: Cranmer Court, steel mesh fence cordoned, greystone rubble, stone chimneys on pavement. Octagon gables, nylon strapped against aftershocks.


08.09.10. Quake damaged, stone, Cranmer Court, Montreal St, state of emergency. Badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake, Cranmer Court would be demolished after protests


08.09.10. Snapped off stone gable, despite quake reinforcement, Cranmer Court, steel mesh fence cordoned, Montreal St, state of emergency. Cranmer Court would be badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake toppled chimneys, Cranmer Court, Montreal St, state of emergency. Cranmer Court would be badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged, stone, Cranmer Court, Montreal St / Kilmore St, state of emergency, octagon gables, nylon strapped against aftershocks. When I drove past 3 wks later, birds flew in & out of the roof & broken gables. Cranmer Court would be badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged, stone, Cranmer Court, Kilmore St, state of emergency. Cranmer Court would be badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged, stone, Cranmer Court, Kilmore St, state of emergency, stone rubble on pavement. Cranmer Court would be badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake toppled chimney, Cranmer Court, Kilmore St, state of emergency. Cranmer Court would be badly damaged by the M6.3, 22.02.11 quake & demolished


08.09.10. Quake damaged Pretty Things (soon demolished) Colombo St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg (soon demolished) Colombo St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldgs (soon demolished) Colombo St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged bldg & toilet (soon demolished) Colombo St, state of emergency

Colombo St: Red stickered, City Mower. Pretty Things: 2 brick, 2 storey bldgs, side walls, parapets peeled off. White, plastic, tape cordoned. Brick rubble on pavement / carpark. An Asian couple, parked in their Mini, sat laughing hysterically at the first floor, exposed toilet in the quake trashed "dolls house" above them. CD workers stood nearby in orange, Hi Vis vests, discussing the destroyed bldg. During quake years, 2010-13, I would see many "dolls house" bldgs, walls peeled off, room contents exposed.


08.09.10. Red crane truck. Quake damaged chimney, Colombo St, state of emergency. This old, wooden, turreted house would be trashed by the 22.02.11 quake & demolished. The wooden turret would stay on site for many years

Avonside Dr / Woodham Rd / Linwood Ave crossing: Damaged by liquefaction, burst water pipes. The crossing would stay hazardous for several weeks during aftershocks, due to liquefaction slumping, cracks in the roads, traffic island, pavements. Post 2011 quakes, most of Avonside Dr & River Rd would be red zoned by NZ National govt / CERA.


08.09.10. Broken & repaired water pipes due to liquefaction damage, Avonside Dr / Woodham Rd, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged Avon River bank & Avonside Dr / Woodham Rd, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged iron & concrete drain, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged Avonside Dr cnr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Water pumping onto road due to liquefaction damage, Avonside Dr / Woodham Rd, state of emergency

Avonside Dr, nearby Avonside roads: Pavements cracked, buckled. Cracked, buckled, concrete curbs, pulled away from the roadside. Cracked tarseal, damaged by liquefaction, silt inundations on roads near Avon River: water, silt, quake, bad combo. Student gangs had shovelled silt into piles along roadsides for trucking away. Steel manhole casings / lids were raised above the road surface by quake forces.

Many houses were without sewage connection for months, having to use portaloos. Avon River & Heathcote River were polluted with sewage for months, WARNING threat signs nailed to trees & wooden posts along river banks. Roadside, concrete drains were damaged, power poles tilted, some base-supported by big concrete blocks.

Huge cracks on Avon River banks, due to lateral spreading. On one section of Avonside Dr, orange, Hi-Vis vested workmen fixed underground cables. Medway St Footbridge between Avonside Dr & River Rd was twisted by the quake, white, plastic tape, red, plastic, road cone cordoned. NO GO yellow, spray-painted on tarseal pavement.


08.09.10. WARNING CONTAMINATED WATER sign about sewage pollution in Avon River due to quake, Avonside Dr, state of emergency

Whitebait season: West Coast had a bad season. Aucklanders & Wellingtonians feared being sold Christchurch polluted whitebait at restaurants. They'd scoffed polluted whitebait for years, as Canterbury rivers were full of shit: Waimakariri R, Selwyn R, Kaiapoi R, Heathcote R, Avon R, Kaituna R... I wouldn't fish, swim or kayak in any of those rivers. On my Canterbury hill walks, I'd seen stock dung in catchments.


08.09.10. Quake damaged Avon River bank & Avonside Dr, state of emergency. River bank slumping due to lateral spreading


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged drain, pavement & garden wall, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Avonside Dr view, liquefaction cracked River Road & Avon River bank slumping, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. NO GO yellow spray-painted on pavement by quake twisted Medway St Footbridge over Avon River, between River Rd & Avonside Dr, state of emergency. In 2013 Medway St Footbridge would be dismantled for storage at Ferrymead. Oct 2018. Bits of Medway St Footbridge would be reinstalled on Avonside Dr as a quake memorial.


08.09.10. Quake twisted Medway St Footbridge, between River Rd & Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged Avonside Dr / Robson Ave, state of emergency. Concrete block supports tilted power pole


08.09.10. Liquefaction silt & damage, Robson Ave / Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged Robson Ave, silt graded away. Concrete block supports tilted power pole, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged Avonside Dr, state of emergency. Concrete block supports leaning power pole


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged curb & pavement, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged pavement & driveway, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged drain shoved up above road surface, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged roadside, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.19. Liquefaction silt, Avon River bank, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Skateboarder leaping over liquefaction damaged, concrete path, Avon River bank, Avonside Dr, state of emergency. (Pic laterally inverted). Cracks caused by lateral spreading


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged, concrete path, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged, concrete drain leaning towards Avon River, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Workman fixing liquefaction damaged, underground cables, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Workmen's vehicles for repairing liquefaction damaged Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake crack across Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Workman fixing liquefaction damaged, underground cables, Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Liquefaction damaged Avonside Dr, state of emergency


08.09.10. Workmen fixing liquefaction damage, Avonside Dr / Morris St, state of emergency

Madras St / Salisbury St: Simply Catering, 2 storey, upper brick walls, parapets peeled off onto collapsed awning. Rubble on pavement. White, plastic, tape cordoned. Bldg would be demolished,

Greers Rd: Burnside HS, temp accommodation for quake displaced people near our Heath St rental.


08.09.10. Quake damaged, Simply Catering (soon demolished) Madras St / Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged, Simply Catering (soon demolished) Madras St / Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged, Simply Catering (soon demolished) Madras St / Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake damaged, Simply Catering (soon demolished) Madras St / Salisbury St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Quake rubble, Simply Catering (soon demolished) Salisbury St / Madras St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Twisted metal & quake rubble, Simply Catering (soon demolished) Madras St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Twisted metal, quake rubble & green bus, Simply Catering (soon demolished) Madras St, state of emergency


12.09.10. Demolished Simply Catering, Madras St, state of emergency


08.09.10. Burnside High School, Greers Rd, one of several CD refuges for people needing state of emergency accommodation after Christchurch quake

*Trekked Mona Vale, Riccarton Rd, Cranmer Sq, Gloucester St, Worcester Blvd, Armagh St, Colombo St, St Asaph St, Madras St, Latimer Sq, Chester St West, Peterborough St, Salisbury St, Victoria St, Montreal St, Kilmore St, Avonside Dr, Greers Rd. 128 snaps.

Facebook:

@Tracey. Will be careful. Chch people are unusually friendly, reminded of our mortality. 8 September 1.47am.

@Andrew. We're all OK. See more damage every day while driving around Chch, repairs and reconstruction plans going quickly. Property owners can claim damages from NZ Earthquake Commission [EQC] & insurance companies. Demolishers, architects, engineers, builders, estate agents, road constructors rubbing their hands expectantly. 8 September 2.23am.

@ Pippa. Day 5. Woke up this morning with another aftershock M5+ big, growly, shaky. (Last night while I was on FB, smaller aftershock). Jake phoned, said some of his kitchen bowls were smashed! 8 September 9.20am.

Day 5. Leah's London St school was declared safe by a builder & a structural engineer. All kids back to school on Monday 13.09.10. Aftershocks continuing... Avonside Girls High I drove past yesterday had a gate sign: "Trespassers will be detained." 8 September 9.47am.

@ Pippa. Day 5. Still shaking. Experts now talk of a "new fault" near Christchurch: Greendale Fault, a 16 000 year old fault covered in soil which caused the quake. 8 September 10.56am.

@Pippa. Lucky. Just a crack in a roof panel by our front door. Damage in Chch: seismic waves snapped to the surface leaving a regular pattern of cracks & pockets of devastation.

Computer monitor regularly jiggles in front of my eyes, aftershocks while I type. Damage examples: Only one brick popped out of a garden wall. Many garden walls, brick chimneys collapsed. Wooden power pole snapped off at ground level in Greers Rd near home, tangled loose electric lines. Wall peeled off a CBD 2 storey house in Colombo St, showing a giant "dolls house", ornaments on a cupboard top, toilet intact. CBD cordoned streets, no traffic, usually very busy, like a movie set. Just cops, troops, gawkers around.

Haven't seen all the damage, too much for my brain to take. Dazed looks, 1 000 yard stares from people.

More examples: Drove along Madras St, weaving around a series of concrete / steel manholes, all pushed above the road surface, tarseal hardly cracked. Massive silt / water destruction at Avonside, Bexley, New Brighton suburbs due to liquefaction.

State of Emergency, first ever in Christchurch, reminded me of apartheid States of Emergencies we experienced. 9 September 12.33pm.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

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