Eight months living in the Residential Red Zone - seriously, how did we survive?!
Eight months living in the Residential Red Zone - seriously, how did we survive?!
Corner of Avonside Drive and Retreat Road, walking home from work: eight months after Feb 2011 earthquake, & shortly before finally leaving the Residential Red Zone (property I rented was condemned & demolished). This photo captures many challenging aspects of Red Zone life: portaloos, hazard fences, wonky powerpoles, temporary water supply (see the blue pipes), badly damaged & partly-patched roads, constant flooding, and of course the ubiquitous roadcones.... Not visible are the warm solidarity & support between neighbours, residents' hardy DIY/Kiwi ingenuity approach to overcoming ongoing problems, and the sadness we felt in leaving - even after all of 2010-2011's disastrous events. Looking back a decade later, I honestly don't know how we survived the whole experience; almost seems surreal in retrospect. Guess it just shows hows how incredibly adaptable human beings can be!
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