h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We'd not been into the city for some eighteen months or so - since before the first earthquake - and we wanted to look around - and to see the Busker's Festival.

frenchbean has written a piece, pipping me to http://wsogmm.h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/brunel/A87736765
and this is a bit of a naddition or footnote.

The 'bus takes a zig-zag route of course, picking-up and dropping-off along the way and affords a rather better view of things than when driving.

On arrival at 'Central Station' you are pretty well adjacent to the shopping area, just a short step to Ballantynes, one of the big department stores. This entrance, judging by the roof, looks to be rescued and leads into a larger, original-looking area then through to a few adapted shipping containers... The whole lot is of a very high standard - allowing for the recovery work that's been done (visible only in a few areas), the place is of a standard comparable to equivalent stores in any city in the world that I've visited.

The Container City is impressive - very. Chatting to the Town Crier (he's been doing it for twenty-seven years!), it seems the shopkeepers are very happy with it (therefore customers are, too). There are no current plans to redevelop the area so maybe - just maybe - it'll stay as it is permanently - ?

We had problems fixing our position and he, the Town Crier, pointed out that most of the landmarks were destroyed and have been cleared - lots of car parking space now, at $1 per hour, if there's actually road access...

On to Hagley Park to the Busker's Festival which happens every January, usually in and around Cathedral Square. Good entertainment.

Later, in March, the Ellerslie Flower Show will take place in the park - another annual event for one's diary - moved here from Ellerslie itself some years ago.

And so, back to Central Station (more containers, with the usual ticket office, passenger lounge etc) and the 'bus home.

Oh, and yes, there were even containers for my waste products.

Did you find it upsetting to see the grey wildnerness beyond the barricades Rod? It still leaves me very sobered even though I see it every day... or perhaps it's because I see it every day

I love the container mall and also hope that perhaps it'll be a permanent fixture...

Fb

Upsetting. Hmm. er, no I don't think so.
It wasn't part of my life as such. Regret and sadness are what I feel, I think, more especially for the Cathedral and the old uni buildings.

It's going to be a long, slow job and it's going to be a drain on resources ... but then I think of Napier