Christchurch Daily Photo

A grungy wall on Colombo Street.

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A crane on site on Colombo street (just behind the cordon).

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A photo-shopped image of a vacant lot on Colombo Street. The tree seems sad and lonely to me, but it’s a symbol of hope and a brighter future – for one day this tree will be much taller and there will be a building or two beside it and people walking along the footpath going about their business.

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This kind of typifies life in Christchurch now – getting back to every day life – talking on the cellphone and getting to wherever we need to be, while right next to us is the remains (and often not even that) of our broken city.

I personally have been amazed at how I have turned off from a lot of damage around the city (well the parts we can get into for now). It’s become quite easy to drive down the one way streets and not gasp in shock. Though I have to admit to becoming disorientated on a frequent basis as I will be driving along, come to a familiar intersection, and have to do a double take to work out if I really am where I think I am – as buildings are gone – letting in a new vista of other buildings. It’s quite a surreal experience at times!

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The cordon around the CBD shrunk a little more recently, so I went in there today to have a look at Colombo Street near the Kilmore Street intersection. The spot that housed the Metro Cafe is now just an empty lot. I’m not sure what condition the buildings that are still standing are in. It’s certainly quite eerie walking around these deserted streets,

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