Christchurch

Shipping Container Market

Under Construction

The Old Cathedral

We finally made it to Christchurch, and with it the end of our South Island adventure. It's a bit of a sad way to end the week, as the earthquake damage is still very prevalent throughout the downtown area. They have tried to bring some color and artwork to the city and construction sites, but it is still very much a work in progress. As it has been over 3 years since the earthquake, the city itself has lost a lot of the life it must've had. There are 'temporary' structures built to replace what was destroyed and to try to keep a stream of people coming into the town for entertainment. Unfortunately, these temporary structures seem to be becoming more permanent fixtures in the city.

Recycled Music

I must admit, these temporary structures and all the construction art give the city a bit of charm and culture of their own. I quite enjoyed the shipping container market. It was popular and well laid out and had a nice vibe to it. A nice place to go on a beautiful day for some lunch and browsing with friends. 

One of the key things we wanted to see in Christchurch was the Cardboard Cathedral. Since we had plenty of time before our flight and had a beautiful day, we took a scenic route to get there. I was hoping we could walk along the river, but the construction made that more difficult than anticipated, so we had to double back.

The trolley is up and running!

We stopped briefly in a square to try our hand at some musical instruments made from recycled construction materials, but as everyone seemed anxious to get to the Cardboard Cathedral we didn't stay long.

One part of the city that seemed remarkably in tact was New Regent St. It had the trolley restored and some quirky shops and cafes to stop in. Even the store fronts were beautiful.

Cardboard Cathedral

Cardboard Cathedral

Finally, we made it to the Cardboard Cathedral. It was in a beautiful green square, and even had a floating art sculpture in the center. The outside of the building looked decidedly less cardboard than I was expecting. The entire front was almost entirely stained glass. Once inside, the cardboard name became more apparent.