A controversial cathedral

Last weekend my GKB and I made a flying visit

 to Christchurch to visit an old friend who is ill.

While we were there we caught up with our eldest grandson

 who took us into the city centre to have a look at 

how things were progressing since the earthquakes in 2011.

The three of us at the Container Mall

part of the Container Mall

 A container mall has opened up where there used to be high rise buildings and it is rather a nice place to be. I thought it was a good example of thinking outside the square when it came to getting some of the businesses up and running again.

 It had been rather eerie walking among the damaged buildings and seeing cordoned off shops with their goods still all on display!

What I really want to show you today though,

 is ChristChurch Cathedral. 

My GKB and I were there just 12 months earlier 

and took photo's inside the cathedral as well as out.

Here are a few of the before photo's.

from Cathedral Square

As you can see from the scaffolding, 

repair and restorative work was going on.

looking from just inside main doors

beautiful stained glass

inside the Pacific Island Chapel, looking over to the visitor centre

The Rose window above the main doors with murals underneath

 My grandson and I went for a short walk, left my GKB and grandsons friend to chat as my bloke's sore leg was playing up.

He took me for a walk around the cathedral,

starting on the south side and then around the back.

South eastern end

I didn't think it looked too bad, all things considered.

I could understand why there is a large group 

of people wanting to restore it to it's former glory.

Then we came around to the western side proper.

That was a different story!

This is the side the tower and spire was on

It is quite devastated, 

(grandson related it to being like a medieval ruin),

and now I know why another group of people

 want to push it  over and build anew.

There is quite a controversy about it and it's a real dilemma.

 from the front, the tower and spire was to the left

ChristChurch Cathedral was the heart 

of Christchurch City, which is why there

 is such an emotional reaction to it being pulled down.

I hope they find a solution that will 

make most of the people happy.

**********

Have a wonderful week,

till next time,

Diana

Through the track (part one)

I dropped my little mother off after church last Sunday

 and thought I'd go for a walk through the track

 just around the road from her place.

I had the trusty old camera with me and took a picture or two.

I wish I'd taken more so I could show you

 how different one side of the track is from the other.

But that's okay, a project for another day.

This end of the track has poles across it to deter road traffic.

 The other end is open so that stock trucks 

and the private vehicles 

of  homeowners can enter, and preferably, exit.

Someone has come along and dug the middle post out, 

you can see the mark where it had been buried to.

On this day I saw an older man drive up, 

remove the post, drive through then replace it.

I suppose if he had driven right around the paddocks

 it wouldn't have taken much longer than it took to do all that.

Still it takes all types to make this world interesting.

I'll take you down the left hand side today.

As you exit the beginning of the track

 is this sheep race, used for getting the sheep

 onto the trucks to go to the freezing works. 

'Nuff said.

Over the gate, and the electric fence,

 who's looking at who?

A general view from the roadside.

A thrush on that same gate, old stables and sheds.

I thought he would fly away when he heard the camera

 but no, he turned around and posed for me.

Looking towards town across the paddocks.

Firewood and storage shed.

Racehorses and mares out at pasture 

at the other end of the track.

There is a racecourse in this area and 

quite a few stables and horse studs.

Time to turn around and head back to the car.

I hope you've enjoyed a little walk 

with me on a cool spring afternoon.

I'll do the other side another day.

Wishing you all well 

for the rest of the week.

Diana

America's cup

Allow me to be a little parochial today.

We are watching the America's cup races 

and now that Oracle (USA) has points on the board,

 and racing, it's exciting, nail biting stuff.

My father loved sailing, sailed as a boy,

but we never did. He knew all the nautical terms,

 we don't, but we enjoy watching the competition races.

Especially at the moment.

We are getting up an hour early, 

well my GKB is, to watch the races.

I generally get up in time to watch the second 

race of the day while I have breakfast.

We know it's not over till the fat lady sings,

 or the last race is over,

but at the moment it's looking good and we're 

hoping for the two more wins we need 

to bring the cup home. 

Again.

Go Team New Zealand, 

we're all "leaning with you" 

and wearing our red socks!

A late afternoon walk

Spring has arrived and today was nice and warm.

So later this afternoon  I went walking.

 I was surrounded by other like minded people.

Some of them had two legs and feathers.

Trust me, there is a duck in the middle of this photo, 

he or she decided to depart to the opposite bank

 as soon as I got my camera out.

It's mate went even further away.

Some of them had four legs and bounced

 around with the joy of life.

And some of them were just like me with two arms and two legs, 

although some were on wheels, 

and some just sat and made mud pies at the top of the bank.

Some intrepid souls even had their arms and legs on show,

but not I, oh no. 

It's still not warm enough for that sort of behaviour, 

not for this lass anyway.

Have a great week,

Diana

I am a 'Coaster'

I am not a native southerner,

I am a 'Coaster'.

That is, I hail from the West Coast of the South Island. 

It is a rugged area with three main towns, 

and a quite a few smaller towns 

(which might be called villages in another land).

I am a small town girl.

Taramakau River on the West Coast

It is quite a beautiful area.

It is also quite a depressed area in that

 there are not a lot of job opportunities. 

Some of us left to get on in life.

The natives are very parochial 

and once a 'coaster', always a 'coaster'.

part of the CBD of my home town

So when I met and married my GKB 

we ended up living in his home town, 

which is a city. Not large by world standards,

 a provincial city, but it was mind boggling to me.

We were also further south 

and it took me a long time to acclimatise. 

But this is a beautiful city, 

and I now love living here. 

I just wish it were a little warmer!!

I'd like to show you a few photo's we took 

a few years ago of some 

of the buildings about the city.

First Church, Presbyterian

Apartments, the front building was a church in another life

Apartments and business premises

Flats and offices

Business premises and flats near the CBD

Back of the Town Hall and clock

Restaurant and apartments

You will see that there are a lot of architectural styles,

we also have more modern concrete and glass structures

and it all adds to the richness, beauty

 and diversity of our lovely city. 

I hope you've enjoyed having a little look around 

where I live. 

No, that's not quite right, this is our city 

but we live in a small town on the edge. 

Just 20 minutes in the car.

We were a borough in our own right when

 I moved here but now we are a suburb

and the boundaries are getting blurred.

I'm going to wish you all a goodnight now and go to bed. 

It is getting late on a Saturday night, yawnnnn.

Have a great week,

Diana

After the rain

Cabbage tree

It's been a bit of a wet couple of days, not too heavy,

 just wet enough to be a nuisance. 

So today once it stopped I went out for a walk.

This site once housed a school with a playground,

 a large hall, a small hall, 

a house and netball courts. 

Before long it will be occupied by a large supermarket.

I wonder what's going to happen to their old one

 or whether they'll run both of them.

That would give us three supermarkets.

can you see the raindrops on the leaves?

We are a small provincial town with a city 

just 20 minutes away by car.

I don't know that we could sustain 3 supermarkets to be honest.

But time will tell, and they may demolish the old building.

raindrops

blossom

My GKB was out for the afternoon playing darts,
he arrived home to say they had won,
and everyone was pleased to see him back.
He had a good day out so that is all good.

sea fog coming over the top of the hill

The fog comes over the hill from the Pacific Ocean
 but luckily not too far down.
But that is not the case on the other side of the hill
where youngest daughter and her family live. 
It rolls over from the coast to the hill 
and their suburb is right in its path.

But they have marvellous weather in the summer,
a real little micro climate,
so I'd say that makes up for it.

Well , this post is a bit piecemeal sorry folks,
 I'll try to do better next time.

***************************
An update for those of you who asked. 
My hubby had a good report when 
he went to the hospital for his check up.
 He's still got a way to go but hopefully
 by Christmas the clot will be gone entirely. 
He is much better now that he's over the initial shock
 of it all and has started doing the things he enjoys again, 
like darts. He still can't get down to the river 
to fish but that'll come. 
Many thanks for your concern.

****************************

Until next time,

Diana

Surely not?

I thought I'd go for a walk around the block tonight

 instead of down the Silverstream, just for a change.

Look at what I found parked outside 

one of the local rest homes.

A portaloo!!

Oh no! Surely not?

But it's okay. Don't panic!

Don't panic Captain Mainwaring!

These pieces of machinery were 

also parked just a little further down the road.

I don't know why this one is so dark.

Along with these rolls of cable.

So I'm guessing the portaloo will be used by the workmen

  who dig up the road and lay the cable

and not by the residents of the rest home. 

Phew!

I'll bet they're relieved.

******************

I have been very good walking this week, I've been out every day apart from when I'm working (2 days). And I didn't tell you last post that my GKB will be our support person. He will have the car and be able to go fishing or whatever he feels like. 

As long as he remembers to keep his cell phone turned on in case we need him.

Until next time, 

take care.

Diana