The spire of the ChristChurch Cathedral soared into the Christchurch skyline and the 19th century building cut an impressive figure in the main square of the south island’s largest city. The spire is now no more and the church building suffered major damage in yesterday’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake.
Christchurch was my final destination on my NZ holiday a year ago and I feel blessed to have been able to visit the city and wander through the cathedral, which is NZ’s most visited building, although I think it will be some time now before any visitors walk through it again.
The greatest memories from the travels I have done usually come from the unexpected, whether meeting new people or stumbling upon a community festival or event which gives you a brief glimpse into the life of the locals. My last night in NZ turned out to be a really special one as it coincided with a nationwide television simulcast of a Christmas carol service from the cathedral. I have been to plenty of carols before but this one was hands down the best I have ever seen and it was a privilege to see it.
It has been a shock to see the news footage of this once dominant building now looking more like a building site, to see nearby buildings razed to the ground and to hear the grim reports of the possible final death toll. NZ is a popular destination for Australians to visit and reside in and this earthquake news feels a little like a part of home has been devastated. Most of Australia’s states have suffered natural disasters this summer and now that our friends across the ditch have been hit hard as well - with floods, an ‘inland tsunami’, bushfires, cyclones and now an earthquake - I think the general population is a little jittery about what natural disaster might be next.
Aussies and Kiwis often have a dig at each other and there are endless jokes at the expense of the other. But it is all in good humour and in a world where many neighbouring disputes are anything but a joke, it is nice to see these Tasman neighbours being the first to come to the assistance of each other in times of tragedy.
While Christchurch is a long way away from cleaning up and recovering, I think the best thing we can do other than voice our support is take a trip to the city once it is back on its feet, inject some tourist cash flow and see what the new Christchurch has to offer.
Commiserations from across the ditch
Susanna Sharpe reports on the Australian response to the devestating quake in NZ.
Susanna Sharpe
February 23, 2011
The spire of the ChristChurch Cathedral soared into the Christchurch skyline and the 19th century building cut an impressive figure in the main square of the south island’s largest city. The spire is now no more and the church building suffered major damage in yesterday’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake.
Christchurch was my final destination on my NZ holiday a year ago and I feel blessed to have been able to visit the city and wander through the cathedral, which is NZ’s most visited building, although I think it will be some time now before any visitors walk through it again.
The greatest memories from the travels I have done usually come from the unexpected, whether meeting new people or stumbling upon a community festival or event which gives you a brief glimpse into the life of the locals. My last night in NZ turned out to be a really special one as it coincided with a nationwide television simulcast of a Christmas carol service from the cathedral. I have been to plenty of carols before but this one was hands down the best I have ever seen and it was a privilege to see it.
It has been a shock to see the news footage of this once dominant building now looking more like a building site, to see nearby buildings razed to the ground and to hear the grim reports of the possible final death toll. NZ is a popular destination for Australians to visit and reside in and this earthquake news feels a little like a part of home has been devastated. Most of Australia’s states have suffered natural disasters this summer and now that our friends across the ditch have been hit hard as well - with floods, an ‘inland tsunami’, bushfires, cyclones and now an earthquake - I think the general population is a little jittery about what natural disaster might be next.
Aussies and Kiwis often have a dig at each other and there are endless jokes at the expense of the other. But it is all in good humour and in a world where many neighbouring disputes are anything but a joke, it is nice to see these Tasman neighbours being the first to come to the assistance of each other in times of tragedy.
While Christchurch is a long way away from cleaning up and recovering, I think the best thing we can do other than voice our support is take a trip to the city once it is back on its feet, inject some tourist cash flow and see what the new Christchurch has to offer.
Tags:
Page 1 of 1