Richard Moller - Christchurch 27 Oct

Richard's New Zealand Odyssey 2007

Christchurch
28 October - 2 November 2007

	Christchurch is Canterbury's provincial capital, and the largest city on the South Island. It was laid out as the capital of the Church of England's Canterbury settlement in 1850. Although it was an agricultural market town for much of its history, it now has all the trappings of a modern city. Central to the city is Cathedral Square, dominated by the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral. Opposite the cathedral is the Old Chief Post Office, built in 1897, which now houses the worlds slowest service Starbucks Coffee house. (see picture to left) The square still hosts a market, and now also some more modern architectural styles.

	This statue is of John Robert Godley (1814-61), founder of Canterbury, stands in Cathedral Square.

The city's war memorial sits beside the Cathedral on the city's main square.	"The Challis" also adorns Cathedral Square. Neil Dawson, 2000.

Christ Church Cathedral
Begun in 1864 and completed in 1904 (but undergoing significant refurbishing work currently) the cathedral was built as the focal point of the new Anglican settlement of Canterbury, and it remains an important landmark in the city. It was designed by English architect George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic Revival style. Noted local architect Benjamin Mountfort supervised the completion and also had considerable influence over the design. It is built of Canterbury stone and native timbers, and is known for its detailed wood and stone carvings around the high altar and main pulpit Other works or art depict the history of Canterbury's settlement, the city's connection with Antarctic exploration and military campaigns through the world wars.




A working tramway still operates in the city centre, but is focused on tourist tours rather than public transport. The Avon river meanders through the city and is Christchurch's greatest natural asset. Its grassy banks and weeping willows, old oak trees, ducks and bridges linking the city's main streets lure office workers and visitors to its banks in the summer. Punts also operate from various landings along the river.



	The Bridge of Remembrance commemorates gunners from Canterbury who served in World Wars I and II, and now subsequent conflicts. The foundation stone was laid on 25 April 1923 by Viscount Jellicoe, Governor-General of the Dominion (formerly Vice-Admiral Jellicoe, Commander of the British Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland [1916]).
New Regent Street. This pedestrian only area was built in the Spanish Mission style in 1932.






Earthquake risk in New Zealand has limited the height and structure of buildings, giving towns and cities a somewhat uniform appearance, while abundant space has led to suburban sprawl. Interspersed with the country's ubiquitous wooden houses are gracious history homes and buildings, well-preserved Maori meeting houses and impressive public and commercial buildings. The latter range from early European-style structures build in stone to modern glass and concrete towers. Contemporary architecture is an eclectic mix of "New Zealand" and imported styles. By the 1860's the construction of public buildings reinforced links with "home," reflecting, for example the Gothic Revival style in Britain, Sometime timber was substituted for the customary stone. The emphasis is on verticality and repeated ornamentation. As New Zealand prospered in the early 1900's, more permanent commercial buildings replaced temporary shops and warehouses. A wide range of styles, including Classical Renaissance and Edwardian Baroque, demonstrated substance and affluence of successful commercial enterprise. Although Facades are often splendid, with Roman columns, the structure behind uses more modern techniques of steel framing and reinforced concrete. As such techniques allowed varied exterior treatment, there is little consistency of style in city buildings.


Botanic Gardens
The botanic Gardens, founded in 1863, contribute to Christchurch's reputation as New Zealand's garden city. the Gardens; conservatories, rose and bulb beds, rock and water gardens, English lawns and woodland are largely enclosed in the loop of the Avon River, and the proximity of the flowing water to all sections makes the gardens particularly tranquil. We were there in early spring so many of the beds only had spring blooms, and some very early summer flowers.




	William Sefton Moorhouse was an English born, New Zealand politician who served in both the provincial and national parliaments. Through his efforts the original rail tunnel between Lyttelton and Christchurch was built.



This is part of the interactive sculpture titled "Regret" by Sam Mahon. If one pushes the lever a jet of water erupts from the nozzle and causes the masks to rotate.







Wrestlers, sculpted by Llewellyn Summers, 14 March 1990.


Christchurch Arts Centre

	Located in the old University of Christchurch's buildings, this is Christchurch's arts and cultural hub, with galleries, cinemas and theatres, as well as cafes and bars. We took a look at some of the galleries and studios, ranging from painting and sculpture, to fabric arts. The construction of the Gothic Revival-style buildings began in 1877. It was designed by a succession of architects, including Montford, who was responsible for the clock tower building, Great Hall and Classics block. Assembled piecemeal over 46 years, the buildings were linked by quadrangles and cloisters that unify the whole complex.






	Art Gallery

Victoria Square, with its Avon River boundary, clipped lawns, formal plantings, and many trees, is a peaceful oasis in the city and contains statues of both Queen Victoria, and Captain James Cook, RN. In addition a Mouri totem titled "A mark of the long burning fires of Ngai Tahu (He poupou tohu ahi-ka o Ngai Tahu)" stands in front of the lagoon beside City Hall.

Other sculptures also stand around the city, like this one of James Edward Fitzgerald, First Superintendent of Canterbury (1853 - 1867)	Next to the Avon River stands this 1917 statue of Antarctic explorer Robert Scott sculpted by his widow, Kathleen.

This un-named sculpture was presented to the city of Christchurch by His Excellency Carlos Appelgren-Balbontin, Ambassador of Chile, to commemorate 30 years of bilateral relations between Chile and New Zealand in 2002.	And no city would be complete without a gratuitous piece of modern art on a convenient street corner.

	No tromp around the city would be likely if one didn't have a firmly grasped cup of Starbucks first thing in the morning. Or a nice glass of wine at Eadie Fye's Wine and Deli Store.

	These shots are from the Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House. I did get to see a live Kiwi, but no pictures were allowed. [Left] A carpet shark distributed around New Zealand, but most common in the south where it comes into shallow bays. they grow to an average size of 80 - 120 cm and reach a maximum of 200 cm. They are voracious feeders, preying on shellfish, crustaceans, fish, and squid. [Below Left] A Conger Eel can grow to be 180 - 200 cm in length and over 15 kg. It is a bottom dwelling fish usually inhabiting crevices or caves and moves around at nighttime in search of fish, crabs, crayfish and octopus. [Below] Tuatara is a Maori name meaning "spiny-back". The tuatara is a reptile found only in New Zealand, although it was initially thought to be a lizard when first discovered in 1831, it actually belongs to a separate group. This order, Sphenodontia, was once found world wide, but suffered massive extinction around the same time as the dinosaurs died out, around 65 million years ago.

Christchurch Gondola
	Southeast of the city, the Christchurch Gondola takes passengers from a terminal in the Heathcote Valley to the rim of the extinct volcano at the top of the Port Hills. From the top you can see, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury Plains, and on clearer days, the distant Southern Alps. The Port Hills separate Christchurch from Lyttelton Harbour, and were formed as the result of the eruption of the now extinct Lyttelton volcano.



	Lyttelton harbour was the landing place of the Canterbury Pilgrims, brought out by the Canterbury Association to populate the new province in 1850, and was named after Lord Lyttelton, the chairman of the Association. In 1867, a rail tunnel was drilled through the volcanic rock of the Port Hills to provide a link between Lyttelton's port and Christchurch, and a road tunnel was completed in 1964. The town's port is one of the busiest in New Zealand.