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Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwi House (Closed) Further Christchurch Earthquake

Discussion in 'New Zealand' started by zooboy28, 22 Feb 2011.

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  1. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    Bit of a repeat of previous stories, but with a bit more detail:

    Keeper braved cordon to save fish | Stuff.co.nz

    Bit surprised about the Orana redundancies, as the collection has not got any smaller, although they might not have been keepers. I imagine that Orana, like all Christchurch attractions, has been hit very hard by the downturn in visitors.
     
    zooboy28, 12 Jun 2011
    #81
  2. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    all the tourist outfits in Christchurch have suffered immensely. Orana and Willowbank have lost/made redundant a number of full- and part-time staff, the Antarctic Centre did away with around two-thirds of its staff, the Visitor Information Centre is on skeleton staff....there are just no tourists in the city. Orana is getting a pitiful number of visitors per day, all locals; the visitor centre is only getting a couple of people through per day. Its going to take a long time for the zoos to recover, and they are going to be relying on emergency funds to see them through I should imagine.

    As for the above article, I have no idea why it was even released as it is so long after the fact and not even new information. (I won't comment on the accuracy of it.....)
     
    Chlidonias, 12 Jun 2011
    #82
  3. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    just thought I'd throw this in here: as of yesterday there have been 7350 earthquakes and counting in Christchurch since the initial September one!!!
     
    Chlidonias, 18 Jun 2011
    #83
  4. Steve Robinson

    Steve Robinson Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    No wonder Tasmania is looking good. Better pack your bags quick smart before the tremors reach Wellington!

    PS: Turn out the lights when you leave - most of your countrymen are here already.
     
    Steve Robinson, 19 Jun 2011
    #84
  5. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    it does seem rather odd leaving Christchurch for Wellington on account of earthquakes! I've also been to Napier while I've been up here. And I'm off to Indonesia for a couple of months soon. Just looking for trouble I am.
     
    Chlidonias, 20 Jun 2011
    #85
  6. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    relating to post #82 above, the following is an extract from this article from yesterday Future of Natureland again in doubt - nelson-mail | Stuff.co.nz (also posted in full on this thread http://www.zoochat.com/17/natureland-zoo-closing-14439/index2.html)
     
    Chlidonias, 30 Jun 2011
    #86
  7. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    well the Southern Encounter Aquarium is now completely gone -- demolition of the building and all its contents began the other day (Sunday 10 July to be precise).

    (And the earthquake score is now totalling over 7400-- that's 50 new ones since post #83 just three weeks ago)
     
    Chlidonias, 12 Jul 2011
    #87
  8. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    What was the name of the building the aquarium was in Chlidonias? Is it the something theatre? I was trying to figure out what was happening to that building from the building demolition lists but hadn't succeeded.
     
    zooboy28, 12 Jul 2011
    #88
  9. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    its the Regent Theatre building. On the damaged buildings list it says something like "to be restored" because its heritage-listed, but that apparently changed (I was checking the internet on Sunday after I was informed it was being knocked down, but I couldn't find an updated list that said it was to be demolished). A big problem of course is that every time there's another large quake the damaged buildings sustain more damage, so a lot of the ones listed as scheduled for restoration have been re-categorised as to be demolished.
     
    Chlidonias, 13 Jul 2011
    #89
  10. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    Very sad to see all these old buildings being demolished, but understandable. Cathedral Square will be a very different place in the future. Do you know if the information centre (old post office?) next door to the aquarium is to be restored (as per quake map building info) or demolished, Chlidonias?

    The owner of the Regent Theatre says demolition of the building may be complete by the end of this week, and that he would like to rebuild on the site, with a cinema a possibility.

    Three-screen cinema planned for city's south | Stuff.co.nz
     
    zooboy28, 15 Jul 2011
    #90
  11. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    no idea sorry

    EDIT: this article from a couple of days ago says "Because of the building’s heritage status, the Post Office would probably still be repaired"
    http://www.chcheqjournal.com/2011/cost-insure-leads-loss-history/

    doesn't mean much in the current state of events though
     
    Chlidonias, 15 Jul 2011
    #91
  12. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    Sorry to drag this thread up again, but just thought I would post this video, which includes some footage of the building which housed the Southern Encounter Aquarium being demolished, as well as showing much other damage in the CBD.

    The building is straight ahead at 3.30, and visible again on the right at about 4.25.

     
    Last edited by a moderator: 6 Jul 2017
    zooboy28, 2 Sep 2011
    #92
  13. Hix

    Hix Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Is this part of the city still closed? Or did they record this early in the morning when nobody is around?

    Hix
     
    Hix, 3 Sep 2011
    #93
  14. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    This part of Christchurch, called the 'Red Zone', but essentially the CBD, with probably thousands of businesses inside it, has been closed since February 22. It is slowly being opened up as demolitions are completed and areas become safe. Only contractors are allowed in. I don't know when it will all be open, but some parts will not open this year, for example the Grand Chancellor Hotel (I think its the tall building visible in the background at 5.45) is expected to take 10 months to demolish, and didnt start until June/July I think.

    There is a map here showing the size of the 'Red Zone': CBD Red Zone Cordon Map | Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
     
    zooboy28, 3 Sep 2011
    #94
  15. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    I can't really watch the video here (Flores) because of internet speeds so I just skipped to the times mentioned by Mr. Zooboy. The big dome sort of thing sitting on the ground next to the car at 3.30 used to be on top of the Aquarium building. The building visible in the distance at 5.45 is indeed the Grand Chancellor (you can't tell - its only visible from certain angles - but it is on a bit of a lean where one side has partly collapsed).
     
    Chlidonias, 3 Sep 2011
    #95
  16. Hix

    Hix Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Yes, that fisheye lens put all the buildings at a bit of a lean. Bit distracting.

    Hix
     
    Hix, 3 Sep 2011
    #96
  17. Shirokuma

    Shirokuma Well-Known Member

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    Shirokuma, 23 Dec 2011
    #97
  18. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    some big shakes but nothing too bad damage-wise, apart for some serious effects from liquifaction in the east, and a couple of empty buildings collapsing. I had forgotten what the big ones felt like.....

    Tourism was starting to pick up again in Christchurch but this is going to set it right back again.

    (Just to keep specifically on topic, a couple of weeks back I saw the site where the Aquarium used to stand -- it's just an empty square of in-fill now. So sad)
     
    Chlidonias, 23 Dec 2011
    #98
  19. IanRRobinson

    IanRRobinson Well-Known Member

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    Glad to know that you're OK, Chlidonias. Hope that you, your family and friends don't suffer too much financially.
     
    IanRRobinson, 23 Dec 2011
    #99
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