#chc20

[rorytait]

Over the Port Hills

I was only in Christchurch for a short time, but I was quite keen to try see as much as I could, so I planned a big day of walking to try hit Sumner Beach, the Port Hills and Lyttelton off in one go. 

I started by taking the bus down to Sumner Beach, a sleepy little beachside suburb which, like much of suburban Christchurch, stands in contrast to the shiny modern city centre, as looking a bit aged. 

While the esplanade path was very quiet, the waves were filled with people. I can only imagine quite how cold it must've been out there. I was certainly regretting not having my gloves for my walk at this point!

Starting at the far end of Sumner, I walked back in the direction of the city along the beach, until I got past the Yacht Club and to Barnett Park, at which point I began my trek inland. 

The earthquakes destroyed some of the paths over the Port Hills, but new ones have since been crafted. I took the Eastenders Track, which led me to Summit Road, running along the city-facing edge of the Hills. The walk was quite steep but not overly onerous, the worst part was the wind. I was glad that the next part of the walk ran along the road so I didn't feel quite so exposed.

I followed the road until I reached an access point for the Crater Rim walk, which runs on the Lyttelton-facing side of the Hills. This track took me up to the Gondola Upper Station, which gave me a brief reprieve from the wind, and also the chance to get some photos looking down on Lyttelton.

Lyttelton is Christchurch's port, and where the early British colonisers landed. From their landing point they had to cart themselves and their supplies up over the hills, and back then I doubt there would've been such clear paths. 

To get down into Lyttelton I took the Bridle Path, shaped by the coloniser's route, this steep descent quickly landed me into the cute township.

As a port town I hadn't been expecting much but was pleasantly surprised to see the slightly alternative atmosphere to the town, with a Co-Op and a handful of independent and artsy little shops and cafes.

I stopped in Lyttelton for a good meal after my 11km trek over the hills, before taking the bus back to the city. I certainly had no intentions of walking much further!

[rorytait]

Central Christchurch

I hadn't been to Christchurch since I was four or five years old, so when I found return flights for under $70, I jumped at the opportunity. 

Upon arrival I took one of the every 30-minute buses from the (rather modern) airport through the suburbs to the (also rather modern) Central Bus Interchange. Located in the heart of the city centre, it was only a short stroll to the Cathedral Square – where the ruins of the Christchurch Cathedral still sit, almost ten years on from the earthquakes. 

It appears they are ramping up the reinstatement of the Cathedral as by the time I left just a couple days later, the fence in the photo above had been moved much further forward into the Square. Presumably to give more space for works to accelerate?

Christchurch has a relatively extensive network of physical tram lines around the central city, however there is only a heritage tourist service line in operation. 

As a consequence of the earthquakes, there are a lot of very new public buildings in Christchurch, such as the already mentioned airport terminal and bus interchange. However, by far my favourite was 'Turanga', the central library. This massive building had a beautiful design sense, and was by far one of the best libraries I've seen in terms of amenities – recognising the vital role of libraries not only for education, but for amusement, social integration and technology access as well.

From the fourth floor terraces of Turanga, you can a little bit of a view over Cathedral Square. I think this angle highlights just how badly hit the central city was by the earthquakes. There are construction fences and gravel car parks all over Christchurch, acting as a reminder of the devastation. 

There are also some really lovely little heritage buildings still standing, such as this theatre, or the 1930s Spanish Mission-style strip of shops below (New Regent Street).

With the Cathedral out of comission, the church built a 'Transitional Cathedral' which is quite well known for being built out of cardboard. It's situated just outside the new city boundaries, but has quite a cool A-frame design. I certainly wouldn't guess that cardboard was a dominant material from the outside. 

Pre-earthquakes, Christchurch had a very spread out city centre, with uncoordinated single high rises dotted about. Post-quake, the redevelopment has tried to adhere to a more consistent urban planning framework, and one that also enhances liveability and walkability. As a result, the 'new' city centre (still in the same spot) is just a third of the size of the original, with the edges 'framed' by strips of parkland or public space. 

Beyond these frames are new medium-density residential developments, such as the terraces above, or the units below. The hope is that by integrating urban living with the commercial centre of the city, it'll be livelier and more sustainable economically. 

It's a sound plan, and all the infrastructure is right - there are so many bike lanes and well designed bus stops, with excellent parks and public spaces dotted around these developments as well. However, there still seems to be an absence of people? 

I've heard it said that in the aftermath of the quake, everyone fled to the suburbs, and life began to centre on suburban shopping centres, and with the city centre just now finding its feet again, people have been slow to return. 

Another excellent feature of Christchurch, is the way the Avon River has been integrated into the city, with very well done riverside parklands. 

How a city makes the most of it's river is something very interesting to compare across regions. Of course it partly depends on the size of the river, with a place like Brisbane and it's massive river having a much harder task in connecting both banks – whereas Christchurch is lucky theirs adds amenity without being a nuisance. 

After spending an afternoon 

After spending my first day just walking around the city, I was faced with this really cool view back towards Cathedral Square where I started.