New zealand today

[happy daze john in oz]

# 1 John, The Radio station building is now the subject of a prosecution of the Structural Design Engineer and the Consulting Engineering company involved. It appears the design was totally under strength even without an earthquake to knock it over. There is some speculation that some of the design team had no real qualifications or experience to do that type of design work. Regards Peter in NZ.

We heard some of that from the coach driver, he said the builders did not follow the architect's design and cut corners to cut costs.

[Tony Skilton]

I'm slowly finding all these interesting threads on this site - there is a lot to look through.
At the moment, we are one day away from the 3rd Lions/All Blacks Test in Auckland - no matter who wins, the winners have been trained by a Kiwi coach! It will be a mighty game.
A lot of Lions supporters were in the tens of thousands who lined the Auckland CBD streets yesterday to welcome the Americas Cup back to NZ for at least another 4 years. All the rugby tourists are reporting having a brilliant trip so far - but wait until tomorrow night.

I was born in Christchurch, and lived there for 12 years. Never would I have put 'ChCh' and 'earthquake' in the same sentence - it just didn't compute. I later flatted in Wellington, right on top of the Tinakori Rd fault line, so the many 'shakes' we experienced were regarded as 'fun things' - who made the earth move last night?
To go back to ChCh a couple of years ago for a funeral was mind-boggling.
All my child-hood landmarks in the city had come down in the quakes or been demolished, huge apartment store sites were now bare land, with piles of rubble & steel framing waiting to be removed. Much of this debris has been used in Lyttelton to reclaim land for wharves to replace those that were destroyed.
The 'Container City' that has been erected is brilliant. It has now been relocated to a new site as the first location is being readied for rebuilding again.
However, many Cantabrians have departed for foreign shores or moved further north as the continual quakes do tend to get one on edge - "Is this another big one?
At one stage ChCh was having 4,000 quakes/week - a world record.
The QM2 was due to have berthed in Lyttelton on the day of the largest quake. Instead, she went to Wellington for the first time. A friend of mine organised 'donation buckets' on board for the 'ChCh Earthquake Fund', and contributions were doing well until Japan had it's large earthquake a week later.

The Lyttleton 'Time Ball' that was originally built around 1875 collapsed completely during the quakes, but all the stone work has been saved (the remains of the building were 'deconstructed' to enable the stone to be used again). It has just been announced that reconstruction of this building will begin shortly, and the 'Time Ball' will be operational again some time next year. The 'Time Ball' is one of only two still operating in the world.

I suspect Christchurch may never again be the 'Garden City' as we once called it, but, given time, the city will be rebuilt and all the empty sites in the CBD will contain much safer buildings.
Skilly

[happy daze john in oz]

Tony, being back there again in 2015 and seeing the progress made I am convinced thta the Kiwi spirit will see Chritscurch in time once again a thriving garden city.

[cappy]

an interesting post skilly ....kiwi is a great country ...many happy times in aucland ...like the comment on the rugby ....never been a believer in miracles but cant see the lions doing it ...the kiwis are certainly the biz as usual ...not only the all blacks but then younger under 20s etc ....my grandson charlie has 7 caps for england in 16 ...and 18 year olds was in the under twenty squad but suffered a bad injury .......just got back to fitness was training with england under 20s to play in world cup in georgia ...sadly injured again ....but they truly look after there young ones and he was sent to harley st and had the same foot operation as haskell who is now back playing .....they have spent about 48 thousand on him ..so must be something there of which i am sure there is...of course the kiwis took the trophy by storm.......and earned it......sadly the second test i feel is being lauded here as a great win ...well to me ...the score when you played a man shoryt only goes to prove what is what .....having said that i shall dream a dream.......and hope for better times when young charlie gets hopefully up there ....your sprtingly cappy

[Richard Quartermaine]

Cappy, best wishes to your Charlie to attains his dreams..... and his grandads' too. You're a great mob.
Richard

Skilly, I enjoyed your posting. In 1951,52,53 on Shaw Savill and Port Line a lot of time was spent in Kiwi ports. Many friends were made and places visited with them. Like walking along the banks of the Avon River at Opawa and skating at Lake Ida way west of Chch. After closing time at Lyttelton sneaking up the back yard of the pub, ducking under the clothes line, tapping on the door that opened into a smoke filled crowded bar to to see the local copper imbibing and with my shipmates waddling out much later having won a bottle of rum in a raffle.
Climbing up Tinakori Road and after driving along Lambton Quay and scaring the daylights out of the examiner after he told me to park on some nearly vertical hill getting my first drivers license.
taking a nurse back to Upper Hutt after a night out and no transport back to Wellington.
Taking pressies with a couple of mates from UK to friends made in Lower Hutt where Wal and Marj would roast a lamb to follow the pile of Bluff oysters washed down with Waitemata beer. Crikey! A young man would have to be bonkers not to join the Merchant Navy in those days.
Here's a postcard I bought in Lyttelton in 1951. And congratulations on the Americas Cup win. My wife and I were in Perth WA when it was our turn.
Richard

[cappy]

##a good interesting post richard ....there were many valhallas for young seaman inour time ....sadly the world is a different place now wouldnt like a seafaring carreer....thanks for charlies interest funnily enough i have just had a text from my son christian telling me the harley st specialist is today seen charlie and his operation was a good success he should be playing in 6 weeks ..but will have a niggle for six months or so ...he can surely live with that and a smile on his chops..shall be watching the match tommorow i believe it is 8..30 am bst.....thanks for the interest hope you are both well best wishes cappy

[Richard Quartermaine]

That's great news Cappy. Express our best wishes to Christian and Charlie from us out here in Oz, and to both you and Pat of course. Richard

[cappy]

cheeers cobber ..a happy granda today who would ever think a grandson playing for his country...wouldnt call the king me uncle.....cappy

[Richard Quartermaine]

My Bl**dy oath, Sport.
Richard

[John F Collier]

Yeah it certainly is something to be proud of cappy, best wishes to Charlie for getting his career back on course and hopefully
into the senior squad for 2019 hope all goes well for him. cheers JF