A Morning in Christchurch

We didn't have a lot of time to spend in Christchurch, but we'd heard the gardens were lovely. Our hotel was in the city center, so we could wander around on our way to the gardens, get a feel for the city over a couple of hours.

Christchurch had a large earthquake in Feb. 2011. It was a blip on our news in the States. I remember hearing that the downtown had been ravaged and their noteworthy cathedral had collapsed. 185 people were killed.

Visiting almost five years after the catastrophe, what we found was shocking. Instead of high-rises in the skyline, there were cranes jutting up every which way. At so many intersections, streets were blockaded or rerouted as one-ways to accommodate construction. Five years and the city was still smack in the middle of rebuilding. There are cranes/construction in almost all of these shots.

There are signs of life everywhere you look, though. Street art thrives on the condemned buildings, and those left standing.

Strip club street art keep in theme.

The fallen church was haunting, but yellow wildflowers now grow at the base where they never would have.

The gardens were worth the hype.

Nothing was in bloom, but the secluded paths next to canals allowed for peaceful strolls.

The greenhouse was full of plants and humidity. Plus, it was warm on a cold morning.