Not quite following the long exposure part of this weeks theme, because I did get out with my camera today and have some current images to share. This is more like “living in a dream” or “wishing I could wake up” or “not a dream but a nightmare”
Cathedral viewed from the north
Those of you familiar with my blog know about the devastating earthquakes that hit our city in 2010 and 2011. Feb22 2011 destroyed our central city area and it has been fenced off and inaccessible by the general populace ever since. Today they opened up access on the north side of the Square to pedestrian traffic and I went down with my camera.
Anthony Harper Building
The building being demolished in this picture is the one I worked in for about 3 years prior to the Quake. It was 10 stories high and we leased the 2nd, 6th and 7th floors. I worked on the 2nd floor and my desk is pretty much on the edge of what is still standing.
They told us recently that if the Quake had been a smidgeon bigger or went about 10 seconds longer, the building quite probably would have collapsed. Its sobering thought. I wasn’t in it at the time, but all my team and other colleagues were.
This is what a three story building looks like when it has been demolished. This pile of rubble stands a good six feet high and completely covers the lot on which the building had previously stood.
Yarn bombed tree
I have often thought about this tree in the past couple of years. A week or so before the quake I photographed it, as it had been recently yarn bombed. One random tree in a park close to where I parked my car. So I made the effort to shoot it. Since then we have not been able to get in to the area but I was pleased to see that it was still standing and its yarn adornments are a bit faded but still there.
Learning to See Light 
How absolutely tragic! I spent quite a bit of time in the cathedral during some rather bleak times in my life. So, so sad…
Yes it is tragic, they have stopped demolishing it while they work out if it can be saved, but the bell tower (which was mostly there) is now completely gone 😦
Is that Cranmer Square where the yarn-bombed tree stands? If so, it’s just across the road from where I went to Ch-Ch Girls’ High School
Good guess, its Latimer Square, the northwest corner. The pile of rubble shot is from the Sports Med clinic directly opposite it on Gloucester St.
Sorry to hear about the Earthquake and its devastation. The trauma, the pain, the nightmare. Everyday is a chance to mend the broken pieces externally and internally. Powerful post that touches the heart!
Thankyou, yes it has been, and continues to be a challenge. We are a resilient lot and soldier on.
Beautiful work. It’s terribly hard to work back from such devastation, and there will always be things that make you sad about it.
Its easy to feel sad, so I try and find something to feel better about, hence the last image of the yarnbombed tree 🙂 There is lots of quite nifty grafitti and art that has popped up that I need to capture and post about too.
True, it’s much better to find the beauty!