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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-06-17, Page 9Wednesday, June 17, 2015 • Lucknow Sentinel 9 The New Zealand Experience - Part 3 Travel Series Maureen Matchett The flight from Auckland to Christchurch only took 1.5 hours, but was cer- tainly bare bones in terms of so-called services. Prices for flights around New Zealand might seem super -cheap, but checked luggage costs extra, and don't dare go over weight limits! The International Cricket World Cup was happening in Australia and New Zealand during our visit, and we learned the hard way to pay attention to the schedule because a cricket match was held in Christchurch the same day we flew in, making it extremely difficult to find affordable accommodations! Christchurch is a really active, vibrant city of about 300 000 people, and its con- sistent growth and expan- sion only slowed down in 2011 because of the earth- quakes. It was settled in the mid -1800s and settlers tried to mimic upper class Eng- lish society, and not be yet another scruffy colonial outpost; fertile farmland was purposely given to the gentry and there were far more churches built than pubs. In fact, no matter where we went in Christch- urch, there were reminders of Christchurch's connec- tion to the home country, with the Jubilee clock statue, Victoria Park, and the coronation monument being just a few. However, the quakes of 2010/2011 are now the defining feature of CC, since there are significant areas that are still unin- habitable, from the down- town with its half torn - down buildings, to its outer communities. For instance, the seaside vil- lage of Sumner has a ghost town quality to it, with many hillside homes abandoned because of quake damage, and others only accessible by foot because roads are still impassible. There were actually two major earthquakes. The first was September 4, 2010, about 4 am, at 7.1 magnitude, taking place 40 km outside of the city. Though there was plenty of damage to roads and rail- ways, there were no fatali- ties since most people were still in bed. Just before 1 pm on February, 22, 2011, an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck, with the epicentre only 10 km southeast of the city. This time, 185 people died, many of whom because of the collapse of the Canter- bury TV building. Four years later, CC is still a city under construction, and a lot of steel and concrete are being used to create a new city that can with- stand another quake. The locals are still trying to get used to the altered city- scape and skyline. Full rebuilding is estimated to take 20 years and about $40 billion. During our time in Christchurch, we visited Quake City, a small museum about the earth- quakes, but we also did some of the typical tourist activities. We punted on the Avon River (which means we were in a flat- bottomed boat guided along by a Punter, some- thing like Venice), which was especially nice since the sun was bright and the day was warm. We had a guided tour of the Botanic Gardens, which cover 30 hectares along the river- side. It's gorgeous at any time of the year because something is always blooming. It was estab- lished about 150 years ago and features plants and trees from all over the world. We rode the cable car up Mount Albert (900+ m), and toured some of the Christchurch downtown on the tram. We finished our busy day with a visit to the Canterbury Museum, which had a lot of interest- ing exhibits, including Ant- arctic explorers, earth- quake and geological exhibits, dinosaurs, a mummy (for real), a frag- ment of a meteorite that blew up Arizona (also for real), and so much more. We met Dave and Joan Black and they gave us a wicked grand tour of the city, driving up steep, nar- row, winding roads that we never would have had the guts to drive ourselves. Next article: Into the mountains Submitted Large and small buildings collapsed during the earthquake, including parts of Christchurch Cathedral, which was the historic hub of the downtown. The decision has yet to be made regarding whether it should be completely torn down or rebuilt. Shipping containers have proved their worth in Christchurch. They're filled with gravel and placed alongside hills to prevent rockfalls and silt from impeding traffic. Downtown businesses shut down by the quake have been relocated to shipping containers, creating the ReStart shopping mall in the previous mall's parking lot. Some think this new shopping concept should be permanent. Lucknow 4-H Sheep Club Emily Bieman The second meeting of the Lucknow Sheep Club was held at the Ripley vet clinic on June 4 at 6:30 pm. The members split into two groups to tour the vet clinic. Group one toured the vet clinic and talked with a vet about the types of worms a lamb can get, how they get them, how to treat worms and the symptoms of worms. The members got to see the worms different types of animals get such as dogs, cats and horses. Meanwhile, Group two talked with the leaders about where they were keeping their lambs, what they were being fed, the breed and when farm visits could take place. The members then head over to the Ripley Park where they played a game of cap- ture the flag and enjoyed free time on the playground. President, Jessalyn Hen- dricks led the 4-H pledge Af least 80 percent ofall flro deaths occur In home flres. Here are some smart Fire Prevention tips for protecting youreeRand your family: ✓ Never leave candles buming unattended, and keep matches out alreach from children. i ✓ Keep space healers away from cuhams and other flammable materials. lwall ✓ Install smoke alarms on every floor of your hone and outside each bedroom, and test battens monthly and members enjoyed a snack of fruit. The Lucknow Sheep Club would like to thank the Ripley vet clinic staff for taking time out of their busy schedules to show them through the vet clinic. SAUGEEN MOBILI77 and REGIONAL ThALNS[T SPECIALIZED PUBLIC TRANSIT MENTALLY & PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED RESIDENTS NON -EMERGENCY MEDICAL, SOCIAL & EMPLOYMENT LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE on 519-881-2504 Lma 1-866-981-2504 Please visit us at saugeenmobility.ca lart BE HERE ::.. FOR THE ROAR! SatrsJurte 27 Local Trucks pull at 1pm Super/Modified Trucks & Tractors pull at 5pm 2km south of Paisley on County Rd 3 More info: www.bruceheritage.com