Ghost city

I went into Ballantynes in Christchurch earlier this week and felt a bit sad when I glanced across towards the Red Zone. This is the area in the middle of the city that is still deemed unsafe and is cordoned off. Some of the buildings, like The Grand Chancellor hotel, are being deconstructed whilst the demolition of around 5,000 homes in Christchurch suburbs started this week.

A large chain fence separates the newly constructed Cashel Mall (where Ballantynes is located) from the ghost city. I call it that because as I gazed through the fence, along with about a dozen Japanese tourists clicking away, all that could be seen was graffiti on buildings, rubbish being tossed around by the slight wind, and one lone chair perched on a sidewalk. Not a person or car in sight. No signs of life; not even an urban rat or two scurrying around. It was pretty eerie standing there and looking at shops I’ve entered and busy streets I’ve walked down. I imagined the ghosts of the 181 people who lost their lives on February 22, 2011 meandering the streets forlornly.

And then I turned around and looked back down Cashel Mall. The contrast was incredible. Lots of shoppers milling around; people chatting in the sun whilst sipping a coffee outside one of the container coffee shops; signs of life and laughter.

I remember shopping for shoes in this shop.

 

The new Cashel Mall.

 

Consult your dictionary

I had to do a double-take the other day when I was in Riccarton. I was visiting my favourite Asian supermarket – Kosco – to pick up some spices. And to pick up a bottle of Sulwhasoo cleanser. This is a Korean brand that I’ve been using for about seven months now and really like. I’ll post a review soon of the products.

There are a lot of Korean shops around Kosco in Riccarton. I’m not sure if this shop is Korean but they need to check the spelling of extension. Unless, of course, they are doing something completely new and unheard of with hair extensions and this requires a different spelling.

 

It’s coming down

I’ve mentioned a couple of times that the 28-storey Hotel Grand Chancellor, which was crippled by the February 22, 2011 Christchurch earthquake, is being “deconstructed” floor by floor. Basically, the hotel has had a one-and-a-half metre lean since the devastating quake.

Back in July, I was in Christchurch and managed to get a photo of the stricken hotel. But since the hotel is in the Red Zone, all I could do was get a shot out of the car window. Now, the hotel’s roof has been demolished. This is where the manager of the hotel and some staff used to reside in apartments.

I read that starting next January, the hotel will continue to be demolished floor by floor, with each floor taking a week. The hotel is scheduled to be completely gone by April 20, 2012. Kind of sad. I liked the tall hotel and its domination of the city landscape, plus its odd-shaped roof. But in a way, it has become a sad and visible symbol of the earthquake so its demolition will signal a fresh start for the city. I’ve already told you about how Cashel Mall has reopened with funky container shops.

I’m not sure what plans there are for occupying the hotel’s space but that’s the exciting thing about the rebuilding of Christchurch. We don’t yet know how it will look or what new shops and public spaces will be created.

With its roof still on and leaning 1.5 metres.

Hotel Grand Chancellor - its roof is now gone. Only 27 stories to go!

 

Reawakening

So in yesterday’s post, I told you I’d been into Christchurch to see the reopened Cashel Mall. Graceful old buildings damaged in the 6.3 February 22 earthquake have been demolished (590 so far with another 500 to go) and a new temporary open-air city mall has arisen. It’s really Cashel Container Mall because the 27 shops and cafes that have reopened are located within colourful shipping containers.

Apparently, around 10,000 people flocked to see the new Cashell Mall when it was reopened on October 29 by Prime Minister, John Key. Christchurch’s iconic department store, Ballantynes, also reopened in newly refurbished premises. Frankly, I think it’s an extraordinary feat. The quake ravaged central business and retail area was basically destroyed yet, a mere 8 months later, a new central city retail precinct is open for business.

I was very impressed with the landscaping, vibrantly painted shipping containers and spacious walkways. I really don’t think this new look Cashel Mall should be a temporary thing. I’d vote for keeping the shops and cafes in the converted shipping containers because it gives Christchurch such a new, contemporary look. The Avon River is just a short step away, so you still get the feel of the old Christchurch but the new mall gives a hint of how amazing Christchurch could look when its rebuilt.

I also think shoppers will return to the CBD area given the happy, spacious feel of the new mall. It’s light and airy – almost like the burden of the devastating quakes has been lifted off the city. Sure, there are still devastated areas in the Red Zone, particularly along Colombo Street where gaps now exist that used to be occupied by buildings. But you can see the tireless work that has been going on in what is called the Restart Project (short for Restart the Heart I believe).

I noticed a few shops missing such as Trade Aid, which used to be in Cashel Mall. So it seems that high end boutiques are now occupying Cashel Mall and this might be a clear signal that Christchurch will be quite a very different city in the future.

Honestly, I felt quite emotional after seeing the new Cashel Mall. To know that the city has suffered through so many quakes and that Cantabrians have died or lost homes – then to see a gorgeous new open air space – really made me think of how resilient Christchurch and its people are. I was very pleased to see the cafe in Ballantynes crowded – I had to wait for a seat. This shows that people aren’t afraid to return to the Garden City.

Westpac has opened up a mobile bank and painted its shipping container in Westpac red.

The new look Ballantynes.

Landscaping outside Ballantynes.

Inside Ballantynes - there are a number of concept stores inside and it's spacious and well-laid out.

People lining up at the cafe inside Ballantynes.

I finally managed to get a fabulous lamb sausage roll, carrot cake and cappuccino at Ballantynes.

You still see buildings with the EQC clearance painted on them following the February 22 quake.

The Hotel Grand Chancellor is being demolished floor by floor. Already the distinctive roof has gone.

The clever advertising of Ballantynes.

There are still some no-go zones.

And there is still plenty of rubble.

 

The Avon lives on

I went into Christchurch this week to see the rebuild and I’ll show you that in my next post. I don’t know why but, for some bizarre reason, I imagined that the Avon River that runs through the central business area would be full of rubble. I couldn’t have been more wrong – the Avon River lives on.

It was a bright shiny day in Christchurch and the river looked wonderful. It was so good to see it again and the ducks that are so much a part of the Garden City. So for today’s post, here is a quick snap of the Avon River as it meanders its way through the city.

You’ll be surprised to see in tomorrow’s post how much rebuilding has been going on and how Christchurch is nearly back on its feet.

 

Open for God’s business

We drove into Christchurch the other day. I had full intentions of getting some photos to show you how Christchurch is shaking off the quakes. But it was raining and raining so best I could do was take shots out of the passenger window.

A number of churches seemed to suffer from quake damage but this one wasn’t about to let some quake get in the way of God’s business. The facade of the church shows significant damage but the church is open and hiring out its rooms. I’m organising a Christmas drinks get-together for a Christchurch group and am considering checking out the facilities. Why not?

 

AirAsiaX

So, I flew AirAsia (aka AirAsia X) to Malaysia and Thailand recently. This was the first time flying with this no-frills airline and I’m not sure I’d fly with them again to be honest. Well, I’m 50/50 about it. The smart move on the part of Air Asia is to fly directly from Christchurch. With other airlines, you end up transiting through Auckland and that is a real pain in the ass.

Because I had just taken around 40 hours to get from Rome back home, I didn’t really fancy flying convoluted ways. So I decided to try AirAsia and fly Premium Economy, which turned out to be cheaper than a full Economy-class ticket with other airlines. And it’s cheaper because you basically get little service. I’m afraid I was a bit spoilt having flown Business Class to Rome and back on Emirates.

AirAsia has risen in prominence due to its CEO, Malaysian entrepreneur, Tony Fernandes. To give credit where it’s due, he’s taken a failing airline and turned it right around. He’s also made it very affordable for people to travel. Not to mention he’s smart in having AirAsia fly directly to Christchurch.

But here’s what I didn’t like about AirAsia. I found the dolly birds in tight, short red skirts and jackets (that’s the female, not the male flight attendants) a tad sexist. I’m sure male travellers appreciate the eye candy but I’d rather something a little classier. You have to buy your own food in-flight and I’m okay with that. Premium Economy travellers get meals provided but I’m still looking for my meal – it was for stick insects. Such tiny portions! And if you didn’t like Nasi Lemak, well not many other options it seems. Both to and from Malaysia it was Nasi Lemak.

The real problem I have with this airline is it’s almost impossible to get hold of them. We needed to leave Bangkok early, due to Nam-tuam, so we rang AirAsia in Thailand. What a stuff up that was! Firstly, the person we spoke with after hanging on for about 30 minutues – well, her English just wasn’t good enough. This was closely followed by them having absolutely no record of me having checked in with luggage (twice: once in Christchurch and then in Kuala Lumpur). We then wanted to buy extra luggage. You can’t just buy 10kg; you have to buy 30kg. That was fine but we were quoted different rates during the same phone call.

Then we were told because we had already checked in online, we couldn’t change our booking. But we had received an email from AirAsia asking us to book in online, so we did. Seems you then end up with no flexibility if you follow their directions.

We tried to contact AirAsia via their Facebook and Twitter pages but we didn’t get a reply (via Twitter) until nearly 48 hours later when we were already in Kuala Lumpur. So AirAsia – you need to get a whole lot better at using social media or at least getting back to your passengers sooner rather than later.

When we arrived at Bangkok airport to check-in, there was no Premium Economy line (as there was in Christchurch) and the dude behind the desk was not very friendly.

The real clanger is that you have to walk to the plane. In Bangkok, we had to walk a long way in the rain to get to the plane. No umbrellas were provided. There were about four Air Asia planes parked on the tarmac and it was pretty easy to ascend some stairs and get on the wrong plane. We nearly did. Someone at the door of the airport terminal tells you t0 turn left or right, and then someone on the tarmac points to the plane – but it’s quite a long distance to the plane (at least in our case) and it’s easy to get confused with all the planes lined up, especially when rain is pouring down your face. The final straw, so to speak, was that I wanted to buy Duty Free onboard with a credit card. But nope, they only take cash.

I’m flying across The Ditch week after next on secret squirrel business. I am considering trying AirAsia again, mainly because it will probably be a cheaper option. Across the Tasman I don’t mind the no-frills attitude. But flying long haul, I reckon I do mind. I will say though that the seats in Premium Economy are very spacious. You can recline to almost a sleeping position and you get soft, warm, bright red pillows and blankets.

UPDATE: Nah, decided to fly to Sydney with my favourite airline, Emirates.

 

Flying home

Flying into Christchurch, after 2.5 months away, was amazing. The Southern Alps were covered with fluffy clouds and then they floated away to reveal the peaks of mountains lightly dusted with snow. As we flew lower, you could see large squares of farming land, divided by the ubiquitous macrocarpa that you see here in the South Island. Really, it was like looking at colourful geometry.

Then, in the distance, Christchurch – a city that has been through so much over the last year, including yet another rattling 5.5 quake on October 9 (the day before I arrived home).

So for today’s post, I bring you the beauty of the South Island of New Zealand, heading into Christchurch, a city that is down but definitely not out. In the second last photo, you will see small dots – those are sheep on a property that is basically adjacent to the airport. Ah New Zealand: 4.4 million people and around 39 million sheep.

 

Wintery blast

Whilst I’m sweltering in Rome, my beloved New Zealand has been hit by a wintery blast. It seems to be a rare snowstorm and bollocks – I’ve missed it! Apparently, a strong Antarctic front pushed northwards causing havoc, bringing power lines down, closing airports and disrupting traffic. Snow even fell over Wellington – that hasn’t happened since the 1970s – and for the first time in 72 years, Auckland saw snow fall.

The snowstorm has been described as a once in a lifetime event. And of course I had to be out of the country when it happened. But my riding instructor sent me photos of the property and some of the horses. Because I follow natural horsemanship, I don’t cover the horses in winter. Horses have the ability to regulate their internal temperature and, when it’s cold, they raise the hairs on their coat to create an insulating layer. Horses also grow a wonderful woolly coat to keep themselves warm – Muff and Rosie are like woolly mammoths. So if you cover your horse with a rug or blanket, it makes it impossible for the horse to raise their hairs and create that insulating layer.

All my horses enjoyed the snow apparently, as did the three horses boarding with us for a short time. I can’t believe so much snow fell on the property – about 26 cm/10 inches.

Entrance to property. The farm is called Aroona, which is Aboriginal for "flowing waters" or "place of running water".

Coming down the drive - stables and round yard on the right.

The three horses that were boarding with us during the snowstorm.

Danny waiting to get some hay. The grass, of course, was covered by the snow - so the horses had to be fed hay twice a day.

Muff finding it a little deep in the snow.

 

She Chocolat

Being a lover of decadent, fine quality chocolate, I’m very happy to offer up my review of She Chocolat – a Chocolaterie and Restaurant in Governors Bay, Christchurch. Governors Bay is actually one of the places we looked at very seriously and we bid on a house at auction. We lost out and ended up in Oxford. You can see the view from the house we would have enjoyed had we bought the property here on my photo blog. Possibly a good thing though that we missed out as that whole area around Lyttelton and Governors Bay was hit by the quake (second big one I think). Besides, I would have needed to turn myself into a mountain goat because the property was pretty steep.

I had to take my mate to She Chocolat if for no other reason than the view over the Bay. Just gorgeous. The hills surrounding Governors Bay are said to be home to seven, resting sisters and She Chocolat derives its name from the concept of sacred femininity in the land. I’ve been there several times before but not for quite a few months. We hit the place just in time for brunch. The menu is varied and I had a hard time selecting between enticing dishes. But knowing that I would be having dessert and probably scoffing a chocolate or two, I decided to go for the pumpkin soup with homemade bread. Very creamy and delish. Hubs opted for my favourite, Eggs Benedict. I was a tad jealous because I love that dish. My friend had fish and we shared a bowl of triple-cooked potato wedges (very delish!). Then we shared an amazing dessert – Koko Chilli. Here’s how the menu describes this taste sensation:

“Layers of meringue, vanilla and chilli infused ganache, enrobed in the finest chocolate and complete with cacao nibs, served with chilli infused chocolate shards, chocolate-rolled cacao nibs and served with fresh cream – truly a wow for your taste buds!“

With a description like that, how could you not order this dessert. Love the use of the word enrobed. I was a tad disappointed when the dessert came out because it seemed to be a tiny portion. Not to mention a bit on the expensive side at NZ$13.90. But it was certainly one of the best desserts I’ve had in ages – very rich, so I’m glad I shared it with my friend. The chilli was delicate and didn’t overpower the richness and smoothness of the dark chocolate. I don’t like dark chocolate but don’t mind it when it’s offset with cream or other flavours. This dessert was intricate with the finest ingredients, hence the price I guess.

I then had a coffee, resisting the temptation to try the Mayan hot chocolate with chilli and spices. I accompanied this with a carefully selected chocolate filled with marzipan. You could go wild at the chocolate counter let me tell you.

If you have ever wondered what chocolate to serve with a wine, have a look at the menu under Wine List & Chocolate Matches. The menu is under the heading Fully Licensed Restaurant on the She Chocolat site. Or if you’ve ever wondered how to eat Truffles, check out page 11 in the menu.

Aside from getting the most breathtaking views of Governors Bay, your taste buds will be very happy if you dine at She Chocolat!

The chocolate counter. You can go crazy here.

The chocolate counter fairly groans under the weight of delicious treats!

Herb and water garden at She Chocolat.

Belgian chocolate drink complete with chocolate spoon.

The Koko Chilli dessert with chocolate spoon.

You can enjoy spectacular views overlooking Governors Bay.

Taken through the window hence the reflection. In summer months, you can sit out on the balcony.