Day of Days 2016 + Earthquake anniversary

It’s been a while since my last update, most of the summer in fact. I have continued to do next to no gaming, or gaming related activities. but have been busy on other things, surfing, going to the bach, football at the masters games, cricket etc. All the usual summer stuff, as well as getting ready for a major building reno on my bach. Work has also gone a bit crazy. The polytech I worked for has merged with our larger norther neighbour (CPIT) and so trying to align two completely different systems and ways of doing almost everything has been a tad difficult, to say the least. Still students have started for the year now so hopefully things will settle down over the next few months. Other news, last week Julie and I celebrated our 20^th wedding anniversary and she also started work last week as a fully qualified midwife. So things have definitely been changing around here.

This weekend is the weekend we would typically run our Day of Days events and although they have gone by the by but two of the stalwarts of the past few years, Simon and Mark Taylor come down as it coincides with their mothers birthday so we’ve arranged a bit of a get together to roll some dice and have invited a few of our locals along too- Dale, Nigel, Kent and Brad.

Finally, tomorrow marks the 5^th anniversary of the devastating Christchurch Earthquake and last Sunday was the first major aftershock in a couple of years, which caused cliffs to crumble at Sumner and Godley Heads and was a reminder to  people that is isn't completely over for them yet. 

I was in town for work a couple of days  two weeks back and stayed at my mate Ian’s place. He still lives just round the road from where we flatted together before I got married and just round the road form where we both grew up. We went for a walk round the old neighbourhood. I was hoping to forage for some fruit (apricots, nectarines, peaches etc are in season) but much to my surprise all the fruit trees had gone and all that is left is street after street of abandoned lots. Even the street signs, apart from "No Exit" ones have been taken, I assume as mementos by former residents of this once thriving suburb. We could not a single fruit tree in the entire area.

This is all that remains of the street we lived in, Kingsford St. We found only two houses remaining in the red zone one of which, to my surprise, was the place my Grandmother owned when she first moved to Christchurch in the early 1980s. Everything else is long gone.

This google satellite image shows part of the street, post earthquake but before the houses had been removed as a comparison.

This cabbage tree is all that remains of Ian’s old house where we lived.

And a post earthquake comparison of his former home.

Looking up Kingsford St towards the Port Hills.

And how it used to look, again post earthquake but before the houses were removed.  

Craig