With the five-year anniversary of Christchurch’s devastating earthquake coming up on February 22, many thoughts turn to New Zealand’s second largest city – and the amazing stories of perseverance and ingenuity from the city’s residents as they have rebuilt.
After the earthquake struck, Christchurch icon Sam Crofskey, owner of C1 Espresso Café, was one of the first to breathe new life into the central business district. Like many locals, Crofskey, 37, saw an opportunity not just to rebuild, but also to re-imagine his business – and in doing so, he helped to infuse a creative energy into other business owners as they moved forward.
Crofskey rebuilt in a steel-reinforced, 83-year-old post office building, which had been specifically made to withstand earthquakes. He installed solar panels, planted a small vineyard on the roof, and established a veggie garden out front. The café décor is distinctly quirky; it has a network of pneumatic tubes that run along the ceiling and snake down into the dining area. You can even order a “Pneumatic Slider” meal and staff will “whiz” your burger to you via the tubes at 100km/hr. The artwork and menus are filled with cartoons and stories (many with a political take) and are often considered controversial (even by cheeky Kiwi standards).
Crofskey’s approach to the food and coffee is serious. He grows coffee in Samoa, where he gives families the expertise to set up a business to supply them. Everything else is local: C1 grows its own vegetables and has eight cows to supply its own milk. The milk is pasteurized and bottled in glass bottles that are recycled.
When the new café opened, Crofskey says he arrived to find people lining up outside after the local newspaper had mistakenly said it was opening two days earlier. With no staff and rushed off his feet, he ended up giving away coffee for free. People loved it.
According to Crofskey, there are now more cafés in Christchurch than there were before the earthquake. And there are also plenty of innovative restaurants and bars. Near C1, on High Street, there’s a colourful and quirky bar and burger restaurant called Smash Palace ([url=http://www.thesmashpalace.co.nz]http://www.thesmashpalace.co.nz[/url]), named after a classic Kiwi film. And just across the river, the Victoria Street precinct is the city’s newest eat street, with bars and restaurants including Cuban and Brazilian-influenced Tequila Mockingbird and moody Southeast Asian King of Snake.
Says Crofskey: “The city feels alive, it feels vibrant, and it feels full of hope and opportunity – there’s no doubt about that.”
What to do in Christchurch
Head to the Re:Start Mall on Cashel Street with its innovative shipping container shops. At the end of this vibrant precinct, you come to the Avon River, where punting is still available for tourists.
Stroll through Cathedral Square, with the ruined ChristChurch Cathedral in the centre. The Transitional Cathedral, also known as the “cardboard cathedral” – designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban – is on nearby Madras Street.
Stop on New Regent Street, with its quirky 1930s Spanish Mission-style shops and cafés and the grand, newly restored Isaac Theatre Royal.
Board an historic tourist tram that runs on a loop through the central city, or take a walking tour that leaves from outside Canterbury Museum in the Botanic Gardens – the best way to fully understand the Christchurch story.
Visit New Zealand in any season. Throughout both islands, you’ll have your choice of unique adventures – hiking, climbing or kayaking across landscapes famous the world over – and savour the freshest local produce and world-class wines. Air New Zealand ([url=http://www.airnewzealand.ca]http://www.airnewzealand.ca[/url]) has direct non-stop flights from Vancouver to Auckland and offers flights from many other North American cities.
C1 Espresso Café
C1 Espresso Café coffee cup
For more information on New Zealand or to create your own unique adventure, please visit: [url=http://www.newzealand.com]http://www.newzealand.com[/url] and check out the “Wishlist” handy vacation planner.
