It's now Monday 28th Feb - 6 days since the jolt.
We have power and water back on at Desmend St - though still having to boil drinking water. Maria was back in work last Friday and has gone in to Solid Energy this afternoon.
Friday was a rainy day and not much was attempted at Kingsford with the clear up. Instead I had a cycle across town to check up on Di and Geoff in Hillsborough. They had sustained a bit of damage to their property but their kitchen had 'exploded' - or at least the contents of their cupvoards and shelves and they were still in clean up mode. I took meander back through Sydenham and clocked a bit more of the devastation.
We went across to Kinsford again on Saturday and along with some friends and colleagues of Elaine we more or let de-silted Matt and Lou's garden. The access drive still has about a 6 inch layer in places but I think they are leaving that for the men with the excavators!
Despite it being back breaking and stinky, filthy work, there was a real team spirit as we dug and barrowed the s(h)ilt away. Strangers at the start of the exercise - pals at the end. And other strangers - from as far away as Methven and Mt Sommers - pulling up in cars with bags of biscuits and bottles of fresh water. One bloke turned up with a wheel barrow and spade and just got stuck in. No-one knew who he was - he didn't talk much - just kept pushing the barrow back and forth. When he finally left and said his farewells, it was clear he was an East European - helping a west European - over here, that's simply the Cantabrian spirit! Everyone is red and black!
We hosted couple of pals for supper on Saturday evening once we had returned from Matt and Lou's - curry and champagne - what a mix! Every now and then, though, I kept getting a whiff of the silt - must have been impregnated in my skin, or nostril hairs!!
Sunday we decided to have a change around in the house. Sarah had been sleeping on the floor in our room and Chris had moved into the TV room downstairs - as the 'south wing' that contained their bedrooms had become too 'shakey'! We decided to reconvert the downstairs study back into a bedroom for Sarah - and therefore my office would reside upstairs in the wobbly section! She seemed much happier about the new arrangements - wouldn't be kept awake all night by the snoring - nevermind the aftershocks!
Sunday was actually a lovely sunny day, so Maria and I had a wander around Hagley Park in the afternoon. Although not as catastrophic as the damage wreaked in the CBD and in the Eastern suburbs, the Park has its fair share of scars from the quake. There are several trees down.
Some of the ornamental lakes are either drinaed or draining.
There is cracking on most of the paths and plenty of liquifaction. The golf course is a mess - all of the fairways are full of silt patches - it looks like more bunkers than grass. And boy does it stink!
The greens have developed 'growths' - one reminded me of a a mini-Hobitton!
The practice green outside the club-house has a gaping crack running along it. The greenkeeper is going to be busy for a while...
The Botanical Gardens are normally packed on a Sunday afternoon at this time of year. There is usually a free live music event held on the main lawn. Today it was deserted.
The only sound that disturbed the silence was the the thumping-whirl of the army helicopters that circle periodically overhead.
It not only looks like a war zone - it's starting to sound like one!
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