Christchurch earthquakes

**dangerous** · 21st July 2011, 18:52

So... ya seen it all on TV right, how did it differ in the flesh?
I ask so as it might make more sence to others around NZ that TV does not bring it home.

**Oakie** · 21st July 2011, 19:00

It is more real seeing it in the flesh somehow. I guess disaster stuff you see on TV is usually overseas so seeing it on TV there is a certain disconnection but when you are in the same place as the damage ... it is just more real.

**fuknKIWI** · 21st July 2011, 19:19

My turn in Shakytown next month for a few weeks...
Hmm just booked, paid for & printed my inbound ticket.

**ellipsis** · 21st July 2011, 21:03

Originally Posted by fuknKIWI

My turn in Shakytown next month for a few weeks...
Hmm just booked, paid for & printed my inbound ticket.

...bring rum...

**dangerous** · 21st July 2011, 21:52

Originally Posted by CAMSec

...bring rum...

haha good one we aint sailers N...

He ment 'bring whisky' single malt highland... ohhh 15yr will be fine.

**ellipsis** · 21st July 2011, 22:08

...we all may have to be sailors , just to get out east, if it sinks any more...

**Winston001** · 21st July 2011, 22:18

Originally Posted by dangerous

So... ya seen it all on TV right, how did it differ in the flesh?
I ask so as it might make more sence to others around NZ that TV does not bring it home.

Well yes, seeing the destruction on TV looks dramatic but they do a poor job of showing the perspective. Television concentrates on single items and repeats the worst time and time again. Cameras rarely pan around and show the whole street.

For me the widespead scale of collapse made the greatest impact. Whole streets of 19th century and early 20th century buildings have crumbled façades, roofs fallen in, interspersed with sound buildings which will have to come down too.

I was surprised at the efficiency of the cleanup. There are empty holes all over the place where buildings and houses once stood.

On the positive side many buildings appear to be fine and most houses survived so I am confident Christchurch will surge ahead.

Stiil, overall it is just an eerie place to be. Our second largest city.

**shrub** · 22nd July 2011, 12:11

Originally Posted by Oakie

It is more real seeing it in the flesh somehow. I guess disaster stuff you see on TV is usually overseas so seeing it on TV there is a certain disconnection but when you are in the same place as the damage ... it is just more real.

I'm at the stage where I can't imagine anything else. It seems like all roads have massive great holes in them, buildings collapsed in rubble are no more unusual than powerpoles and broken houses and empty sections all over the place are just the way it is.

Was Christchurch always like that? I seem to remember things being different and this city being a normal place, but that's all they are, memories. Like this morning's quake - was there a time when we didn't have aftershocks all the time?

Was there a life before quakes?

**Grumph** · 22nd July 2011, 16:25

It seems to be a side effect that you live in the moment much more than pre quake.
there's probably a name for the syndrome. And yes, booze helps.

What is slightly worrying is that the most studied earthquake prior to ours was Newcastle in Oz...and the stress levels peaked THREE YEARS afterward.

I's say the level of destruction in ChCh is comparable to London post blitz - people I knew who were there in the 40's and into the late 50's had stories of playing on bomb sites and coming back a couple of years later and they'd be built on again.
It took, what, 20 plus years to sort out London ? I'd bet it takes longer here.

**dangerous** · 22nd July 2011, 16:40

Originally Posted by shrub

I'm at the stage where I can't imagine anything else. It seems like all roads have massive great holes in them, buildings collapsed in rubble are no more unusual than powerpoles and broken houses and empty sections all over the place are just the way it is.

Was Christchurch always like that? I seem to remember things being different and this city being a normal place, but that's all they are, memories. Like this morning's quake - was there a time when we didn't have aftershocks all the time?

Was there a life before quakes?

Ohhhh, come on man... take a hoon over the east west north areas, nout much has changed aye, get out and refresh the noodle... east and town is only a part of Chch... come over always a beer in the fridge... and a malt on the wall.

**Oakie** · 22nd July 2011, 17:55

Originally Posted by Grumph

It took, what, 20 plus years to sort out London ? I'd bet it takes longer here.

One of our heritage defenders on the TV this morning said there are still war damaged heritage buildings in London that were mothballed back then on which restoration work has not yet begun. Yeah! That's what I want for my city (not). She was making the point that once mothballed there is no hurry to fix them. I don't think the image of several old mothballed buildings awaiting repair is one that will do her argument any good with the undecided.