Last weekend I visited Christchurch with The Duchess to see how much it has changed since our last visit in 2009 (pre-earthquake). Very different, most of the central CDB has been either rebuilt, is still a construction site or a car park. While there are some heritage buildings and facades retained it does have a newness to it which has – unsurprisingly – taken away some of the charm. That plus the shops seemed limited to mostly expensive clothing brands and quite pretentious and costly food options meant I wouldn’t be rushing to return.
One thing I DID really enjoy about Christchurch was the street art – shortly after the quakes the Council brought in artists from all over to brighten up some of the gables and walls, and most of these have been retained after the rebuilds, turning the CBD into a large-scale free art gallery. Here are just a few highlights.
bodecott.blog 