Christchurch...

it's a while since i was travelling (2004) but i've been thinking about it a lot recently, for reasons varied (i miss the places, the experiences, i miss the sunshine, i want to run away). today and i suspect for a while i'll be thinking specifically about the couple of months i spent in new zealand, and the several times i visited christchurch, it being a handy base for various reasons. it's a lovely city, wonderful botanic gardens, great cafes, markets, good size to wander around on foot.

in the days before camera phones and my moderately posh digital olympus affair, i took this in two parts with my cheap olympus film camera, so it seemed fitting to put it up here today, as take away the top photo and you'd get a picture of what the building looks like after being hit by a hefty, shallow-depth, super-damaging, fatal earthquake. (a quick google brings this compare and contrast)

i'm still waiting to hear from some friends and family; they were unscathed in the last quake so i'm hoping for the same luck this time. meanwhile, barking has some beautiful words that you should go and read and think about.

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UPDATE 8.30pm: family has popped out of the woodwork to declare all safe and sound, just a couple of friends to hear from - fingers still crossed, and sympathies for those getting bad news.

UPDATE 24/2/11: last friends declared themselves unscathed. relief.