Christchurch Earthquake

This week is Stamp Club - had to change it since I was in New Zealand when we were supposed to meet.  Speaking of New Zealand, I just heard that they had a 6.3 earthquake today!!  Guess there's some things you are glad that you missed.  I don't think I would want to live in an area that is so susceptible to earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes.  New Zealand has over 14,000 earthquakes a year!  When we checked into the B&B in Christchurch, one of the ladies there told us they had had a couple of quakes the past few days - just small ones.  I guess they are just common place to them.  That is one of the things I was so surprised about in Christchurch - how much rebuilding was still being done - almost 3 years after the big quake hit them in Feb, 2011.  Most of the damage from that quake was in the downtown area.  We took a cable car ride and the conductor told us that the quake had been very shallow causing so much damage in the city.  The cable tracks were undamaged during the quake and they think that is one of the things that helped keep the streets together instead of crumbling.  There was a beautiful 19th century cathedral in the center of the city.  I wish I could have seen it before the earthquake. The spire and part of the tower was destroyed and the structure of the building was severely damaged.  It had been damaged previously by five previous earthquakes.  In March, 2012 work began on demolishing the building but in mid December, the demolition was halted by the High Court of New Zealand.  However, in early December 2013, the Supreme Court rejected a final bid to preserve the cathedral meaning that the diocese is free to demolish the building and build a replacement.  There is a group pushing for the building to be repaired but that will cost  millions of dollars.   In the meantime, the cathedral community has been worshiping in a temporary building, the Cardboard Cathedral which we visited.   The triangular prism building is fashioned from 98 interlocking cardboard tubes.  They also used timber, steel and a concrete base alongside the tubes.

Outside of the Cardboard Church - see cardboard tubes

Inside Cardboard Church - notice cardboard beams

 

That is not the only temporary structure that the city has.  They also have a pedestrian shopping mall built with brightly colored shipping containers.  It is very unique!