Upside down, down under

they call it the land of the long white cloud

My brother lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. He used to live in Finstock Road. He used to be an accountant. Then he had an emotional crisis and did what all public school boys should do and put on a backpack and went walking round the world. When the emotions of the crisis had subsided, Finstock Road didn’t seem to have much allure, and tax avoidance a profession that missed the mark; so he threw the cap of his travels in the air and landed where he had been happiest.

I’ve been to New Zealand twice to visit him. Both times at Christmas which is as close to summer as they get down here. This time it is April, which in northern hemispheric terms, is mid-October. Apples are on the trees. Umbrellas are by the back door. Soup is on the stove.

But this is New Zealand. Where people are very, very hardy. They stride over puddles. They use Goretex as a noun. They walk their dogs in winds that would bend a tree over.

It was in New Zealand I learned the phrase, ” There is no bad weather, just bad clothing choices.”

morning mist at the end of the garden

My brother lives in an area called New Brighton. Which is by the seaside. Not fancy seaside. More like 1950’s seaside. He is the financial officer at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, where they have endangered species and they make sure the kiwis don’t die out.

While he was doing that, I went for a tootle kind of bike ride along by the seaside. It was a rare day of sun. There were about four cars that passed me on the road. One of them was a police car. He asked me through the window if I could pull over.

“ You’re not wearing a helmet.” He said.

“ I just arrived here last night.” I said. “ “it’s my brother’s bike.”

“ Ah well,” he said, “ if your brother has a bike he will have a helmet. It is a requirement here. You may not have known”

“ I didn’t know. “

“ Be safe now.” He said as he got back into his police car.

New Brighton beach.

What I have noticed is how polite people are. The lady at the botanical gardens went to the other end of the building to find me a map so I didn’t miss the orchid house. Everyone who gets off the bus says, “ Thank you driver.” People wave at you whether they think they know you or not.

the river....no people

The maples in the Botanical Gardens

What I have also noticed more is how few people there are. Walking around the city it is like a permanent Sunday. A permanent curfew of pleasantness. As if people tided up their gardens and swept the sidewalks and then left town. 

I have seen a couple of pan-handlers outside the main department store

 ‘ Ballantynes”, but I notice they are sharing the same hand-written sign.

And of course, because I came here before the earthquake, I cannot help but notice the path of devastation that February 22^nd 2011 left in it’s wake. A lot of the city is just gone. 

Christchurch cathedral

Streets of houses sunk. Schools razed to the ground. The Cathedral, the very centre of the city, now missing it’s tower, just sits there gaping open. There is a small field of 185 white chairs. There is a curved marble wall with the name of the 185 who died down by the river. There is an exhibition called “ Quake City” . There is a new collection of stores and restaurants in pre-fab buildings called “Re:Start Mall”.

For Christchurch, it was a very personal disaster.