Meyricke Serjeantson

February 14

Christchurch

Some rain overnight but not much. I fought off an attack of cramp and managed a fair amount of sleep.

I prepared for the day but couldn't find my waterproof. I must have left it in Paraparaumu. Not good with a cyclone on the way down the country.

John and I set off round the corner and had a very long coffee at a new local cafe. This was busy, had some lovely looking food on display, and looked like a good addition to Beckenham.

We parted company, John returned home and I set off to walk into Christchurch, about three kilometres, along Colombo Street, one of the city's main thoroughfares. Since the earthquake, I have walked it a few times, watching as more of the damaged buildings have been replaced by new ones. There are still a few empty sites, this one on the corner of a prime road junction being most odd. There must be a story behind it.

A dull and dreary morning

Some damaged buildings remain ...	... but there are also many new ones

One of my tasks was to buy a cheap waterproof to serve until I returned to Paraparaumu. This was the wrong sort of area as the "cheap" shops fell down in the earthquake and have been replaced by expensive ones. The two shops selling such things were asking $199 and $299 respectively. I could buy one for a quarter of that in the UK! I'll have to ask John to drive me to a suburban mall on the way home, where I ought to have a better chance.

I wandered around a bit, enjoyed the trams, had a coffee and waited until 13.00, when I was to meet John. The city centre is recovering, is now very smart and upmarket and some of the grand old buildings, like the Post Office, are coming back to life.
	The Post Office has been renovated
They haven't fixed the clock yet	Some of the smart new city

I watched the trams and waited near the Memorial Arch for John to arrive. He soon did, we had lunch in a cafe and returned home via a rather good wine shop. We did try to find a shop selling waterproofs but failed. John offered to lend me one. We spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening at home. John did some chores and I organised photos. We had dinner and listened to the growing tale of disaster from the Northern end of the country.