I gave fair warning in the last post that street art would be coming. We walked around Dunedin specifically looking for it, but I did manage to take some pictures of interesting buildings too. This train station is one of the most photographed in New Zealand.
The steepest residential street in the world is in Dunedin but not really within walking distance of where we were. Still, there were quite a few streets we encountered that were steep enough for me.
And, of course, some of the street art.
On day nine we stopped to see the Moeraki boulders. They are basically giant mud balls cemented by calcite. Which doesn’t sound all that interesting but they are almost perfectly round and the larger ones took four to five million years to grow at the bottom of the sea.
We drove on to Geraldine for our final night on the road. This put us within 2 hours of Christchurch so it made for an easy driving day. We washed and vacuumed Weetbix before saying goodbye and hopping on the bus into the city for a most welcome three nights in a real bed.
Almost seven years after the devastating earthquake that killed 185 people and injured thousands, the city centre of Christchurch is still very much affected by it. Parking lots have taken over where buildings once stood but it is a constant hive of activity. It would be interesting to know the number of construction jobs in the city right now. Everywhere you look work is being done with the exception of the Christchurch Cathedral which sits in the middle of the city abandoned and in ruins.
The church was scheduled to be demolished but a legal battled ensued and in recent months it was decided the building would be restored instead. In the meantime a temporary church has become a famous post quake landmark. It is made mostly from cardboard tubes and shipping containers.
The container mall is another example of innovation and this temporary structure is so popular it has moved twice and has just been given another extension before they dismantle it to build on the site.
Juxtaposition is everywhere in the city making it a very moving experience. Some areas have been fully restored and other buildings sit abandoned and tagged by graffiti.
I find this kind of graffiti to have a very different feel than the street art I am prone to seeking out. Now you know what’s coming next, right?
I promised myself I would not tromp all around Wellington hunting down giant, vibrantly coloured art pieces. I guess we’ll see how well I did in my next post.
Very Cool ! Love those big balls of rock great pics. The street art is amazing. Keep snapping