Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial — Attraction in Christchurch

I hope everyone knows about the earthquakes that struck Christchurch. Even in the USA, I heard about them and it's made me want to visit New Zealand. This is the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial and it is along the Avon River in the Central Business District of Christchurch.

From early September 2010 to late December 2011, a number of earthquakes struck the Canterbury Plains region and the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The strongest of those occurrences were the massive, catastrophic aftershock (magnitude 6.3) that happened on February 22, 2011, and the earthquake (magnitude ranging from 7.0 to 7.1) that occurred on September 4, 2010 (also referred to as the Darfield earthquake). Due to the depth of the aftershock and its proximity to Christchurch, there was significant shaking, surface cracking, and liquefaction (the turning of soil into a fluid-like mass) in the city and its environs.

The February event significantly damaged or destroyed roads and buildings around the Christchurch region, which had been weakened by the September event and its aftershocks. The heart of Christchurch was evacuated after suffering particularly severe damage. In the months that followed, it was determined that the earthquake had claimed the lives of over 180 individuals; many of them had perished instantly when buildings collapsed and rubble poured into the streets, crushing busses and cars in the process.

Situated on the banks of the Ōtākaro/Avon River in central Christchurch, the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial was officially opened to the public on February 22, 2017, the sixth anniversary of the terrible earthquake. The design, which was created as "a place to remember and to find peace" by Slovenian architect Grega Vezjak, was selected from more than 330 applications due to its "evocative and powerful expression of loss and remembrance."

The memorial comprises two integrated spaces on either side of the river - a memorial wall area on the south bank and a reflective space on the north bank - linked by the Montreal St bridge.

It is simple, powerful and peaceful. You should absolutely stop by and pay...

The Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial Monument is truly an impressive and peaceful place to visit. A short 10-minute visit is sufficient, but it serves as a poignant space for people to remember and reflect on their losses during the 2011 earthquake.

The availability of benches to sit, with a view of the river, makes it an ideal place to find solace and honor loved ones. The serenity and beauty of the surroundings add to the overall experience. It's a place that beautifully encapsulates both remembrance and...

A great exhibition of the Canterbury earthquakes. My contribution was the 200+ virtual tours on the touch screen TV towards the end, a donation. I can visually remember the earthquake as it was like body surfing in a car as I was thrown around in all directions quite violently. I was driving at the time the earthhke hit on Blenheim Road and was amazed by the central road light poles wobbling from the centre point one metre left and one metre to right ...