Seeing Christchurch CBD through Tourist Eyes

After five years of covering Christchurch's earthquake devastation and the road to recovery, I ventured out to see how the city was being presented to tourists. Hassle-Free Tours were my hosts and the one hour tour was comprehensive and interesting. The vantage point of the open-top double-decker bus was excellent and gave me a new perspective of the city. Crumbling ruins still dominate some areas while in others, cranes and construction signal new life and growth. The giant "sand-pits" are still part of the landscape with many being used as temporary car parks. The commentary on the tour was very good and I learned several interesting things about the rebuild. Here are some of the photos I took on the tour.

How Does Christchurch Central Look Five Years after the February 22nd Earthquake

I seldom go into the central city these days but decided to spend the morning there and walk around with tourist eyes. It was good to see some new buildings around and others under construction, as well as some old beauties that have been fully restored . However, there are still masses of condemned buildings and large areas of what can only be described as waste land. Christchurch Cathedral stands surrounded by high fences and warning signs while other historic buildings are bolstered up by shipping containers. In the midst of all this, it's still possible to enjoy fine dining, do some shopping, grab a coffee and visit tourist attractions. I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story!

These aerial photos were taken as I came into land in Christchurch a few weeks ago. They show the few remaining high-rise buildings and large areas of land where structures have been demolished.

Christchurch Cathedral stands broken and lopsided but still draws thousands of visitors. Click here for more cathedral photos.

These are some examples of buildings that look as though they haven't been touched in five years.

And here are some buildings that are new, under construction, or have been restored ...

Christchurch Cathedral Five Years after the Earthquakes

On February 22nd 2016, it will be five years since Christchurch central and surrounds were devastated by a 6.3 earthquake and numerous aftershocks. The Gothic-style Christchurch Cathedral was badly damaged in the shakes and has been standing in a state of disrepair ever since. Latest news reports say that a final decision about its future should be made in April 2016. Many hope that it will be restored to its former glory. At present, it stands fenced off with camera surveillance to stop people trespassing and entering the area. It still draws crowds who gaze through the fence and photograph it from every angle.