We quickly realized that Christchurch had fallen down. Rattled by an 8.0 earthquake in 2010, much of the cities infrastructure was being demolished or repaired. Some streets were closed off because they hadn't cleared the rubble off yet. Our hosts, Tim and Aiofa, remain loyal to their city and are both involved in the rebuild process. Some grassroots efforts have sprung up to help with the rebuild such as the "Pallet Pavilion," a small market built completely out of shipping pallets. Tim is working with the Christchurch Earthquake Rebuild Association (CERA), helping to lay plans for the new city. A tall task indeed, but as the Romans would say, "tabula rasa;" a clean slate. I can't say Christchurch is the most vibrant city right now but give it ten years and that place will be on the forefront of sustainability, efficiency, architectural intrigue and economic stability.
We caught wind (and a series of rides) to a city 5 hours south with beaches, cliffs, infrastructure and sea lions. You guessed it, Dunedin. Some of the friendliest mates live here and they will go out of their way to show us a good time in this beautiful seaside city.
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