GFE Stumpes: Christchurch, NZ Gondola (9/25/2025)

Thursday, September 25, 2025

No more public transit for us! At 5:15 we took a taxi to the Wellington Airport for a 7:45 flight to Christchurch, NZ, lasting only 55 minutes. We are now on New Zealand's South Island.

Air New Zealand Airbus A320-232 aircraft in the
special "All Blacks" livery, the All Blacks being the
national Rugby Union team, and Rugby Union
is considered the national sport of New Zealand (KSS)

Another taxi ride from the Christchurch Airport to Quest Cathedral Junction Serviced Apartments, where they stored our luggage for us.

Christchurch is known for using vintage trams on
a circular route around the city, but first we took
a shuttle bus to Christchurch Gondola (KSS)

Heading toward the Port Hills (KSS)

First view of Christchurch Gondola (1992), heading up
Mount Cavendish, traveling 1,000 m/3,300' to the
summit at 445 m/1,460' above sea level

I think because I was using a cane, we were
taken to the front of the line to board

Looking back at the base station

A hedge with a caterpillar face

Looking forward to the summit station

The city of Christchurch below us

Nearly at the top (KSS)

Summit view of the gondolas

View to the north with the extensive wastewater treatment plant oxidation ponds on the left (KSS)

View to the south with Lyttelton Harbour on an inlet that comes from the Pacific Ocean to the left (KSS)

A lovely seafood chowder from the Red Rock Café

Also a chicken burger and chips, with "tomato sauce"

Lots of information at the summit station,
including about the Dinornis robustus/South
Island Giant Moa, whose only predator was
the massive Hieraaetus moorei/Haast's Eagle
(also extinct) until the Māori arrived

Evidence of reforestation on the mountainside; the
New Zealand flag has four red stars of the Southern Cross (KSS)

Enormous fires in 2017 destroyed trees and shrubs on the Post Hills, creating a loss in biodiversity. Our shuttle bus driver was happy to report that birds are returning to the hills and birdsong is heard once again.

The shuttle bus returned us to Cathedral Square, where
Christchurch Cathedral (1864-1904, by George Gilbert Scott
and Benjamin Mountfort in Gothic Revival style); it was
recommended to build the cathedral with wood to better
withstand earthquakes, but stone was the Bishop's choice;
the church (now deconsecrated) has suffered through
many earthquakes, especially in 2011 (KSS)

The diocese wanted to demolish the cathedral, but heritage groups wanted to save the building. Restoration and repair began in 2018, and we were given the impression that they ran out of money; however, it seems the government decided the restoration would be "paused indefinitely."

Tūranga Central Library (2016-2018, by Architectus and
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects) (KSS)

On February 22, 2011 a major earthquake occurred in Christchurch, with a magnitude of 6.3 and multiple aftershocks. Infrastructure was already weakened by a 2010 earthquake. About 80% of the Central Business District/CBD was reduced to rubble, 66% of businesses were affected, and 90% of homes were damaged to some degree. New Zealand implemented amended structural codes to improve building performance under extreme seismic loads.

Statue (1865, by Thomas Woolner) of
John Robert Godley, the founder of
Canterbury (the region of Christchurch);
it is the first statue portraying a person in
New Zealand; the statue fell off its
pedestal in the 2011 earthquake and time
capsules were discovered inside the plinth (KSS)

Citizens' War Memorial (1937, by George Hart
and sculptures by William Trethewey); the
allegorical figures included Youth,
Sacrifice, Justice, Valour, and Peace (KSS)