2015 New Zealand
 

Day 7 - 14/09/2015 Christchurch

2015 New Zealand
Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ We get under way at 09:00 and head for Geraldine, then on to Hwy1 and on into Christchurch, a distance of 180 kms. On Hwy1 the route becomes mega-flat and mega-boring farm land. On reflection, we have spent five of our six days driving through the unsatisfying landscapes of sheep and dairy farms, gorse bushes and foreign trees. However, the wilderness and unspoiled beauty of Te Anau and Doubtful Sound make the whole trip to NZ worthwhile. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ We book into our motel handily located on the periphery of the inner city. Later, we ride the Gondola to the top of Mount Cavendish. From the top, looking north, you can see much of the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch City itself. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ The gondola ride. Me. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ The Gondola ride. My bride.
Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ Looking to the north, we can just see the fair city of Christchurch. The Gondola is to our left. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ From the lookout, looking south and southeast, are views of Banks Peninsula (named after Joseph Banks, the botanist on Cook’s Endeavour), Lake Ellesmere and Lyttelton Harbour. Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin and has an area of approximately 1,150 square kms. It encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ Looking south, Lyttelton Township and Lyttelton Harbour are in front of us. Lyttelton is historically regarded as the "Gateway to Canterbury" for colonial settlers. The port remains a regular destination for cruise liners and is the South Island's principal goods transport terminal, handling 34% of exports and 61% of imports by value.
Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ Looking to the north, the Pacific Ocean is just visible and directly in front of us is the oxidation ponds of the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ After treatment, clean water discharges into the bay and biosolids are used for land remediation (I think that means fertiliser) Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ There is a nice cafe at the top. Time for a bite to eat and a coffee after which we return to our motel. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ As night falls, we drive into the city to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. It is in an area devastated by the 2011 earthquakes. The entire city block is either vacant land where buildings once stood or damaged, abandoned buildings.
Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ - Wikipedia's account of the earthquakes The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake occurred on Tuesday, 22/02/2011 at 12:51 pm and registered 6.3 on the Richter scale. The earthquake struck the Canterbury Region in New Zealand's South Island and was centred 2 kms west of the port town of Lyttelton, and 10 kms southeast of the centre of Christchurch. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ - Wikipedia's account of the earthquakes The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people. Christchurch's central city and eastern suburbs were badly affected, with damage to buildings and infrastructure that was already weakened by the magnitude 7.1 Canterbury earthquake of 04/09/2010. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ - Wikipedia's account of the earthquakes The earthquake was felt across the South Island and parts of the lower and central North Island. While the initial quake only lasted for approximately 10 seconds, the damage was severe because of the location and shallowness of the earthquake's epicentre in relation to Christchurch, and previous quake damage. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ - Why does NZ have so many earthquakes? Parts of the South Island and all of the North Island are located on the Australian plate with the rest of NZ located on the Pacific plate. The Pacific Plate is colliding with the Australian Plate at a rate of about 40 mm/yr. The east coast of the North Island is being compressed and lifted by this collision, producing the North Island and Marlborough Fault Systems.
Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ - Continuing Why does NZ have so many earthquakes? The East Coast of the South Island is sliding obliquely towards the Alpine Fault, (south) causing the Southern Alps to rise about 10 mm/yr (although they also wear down at a similar rate). The Marlborough Fault Systems pass through Christchurch and earthquakes occur along these fault lines. Day 7 - 40th Anniversary trip to NZ We have difficulty finding our way back to our motel because of traffic management arrangements that are still in place four years later. It is a mish-mash of half closed streets, “No left turn” and “No right turn” signs, traffic cones, detours and so on.   
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