22 February

It was always going to be like this on 22 February, one year on from the worst of the long series of Christchurch earthquakes. Christchurch and much of the rest of NZ spent the day remembering and wallowing, commemorating and grieving. TVNZ gave itself over to long coverage of the various events in Christchurch, with sad repetitive accounts of individual stories. We heard of heroism, sad loss, destruction of important buildings, children finding ways to cope, people who can’t cope, people who have cleared out, people doggedly making the best of it, angry people, very tired people, people still trying to clear liquefaction, problems with certification and classification, hopes for the future... We saw flowers and balloons and new memorials, a wonderful big bell in Hagley Park.

On the whole our betters spoke quite well and were mercifully brief and sensible. The Anglican Bishop, Victoria Matthews, seemed to me a real minister, quiet and strong and without ego needs. Even John Key and his speechwriters seemed to sense the real needs. One of the truest things was the music of Linwood High School, obviously rehearsed 1001 times and needing another few rehearsals yet, but so good just as it was.

For me the hardest moment was when TVNZ played a couple of minutes of the first police calls on radio to base. These officers including one woman were reeling from what they were suddenly seeing and what was dawning on them, yet still cool and professional. “We need everything you’ve got...” They were hearing calls for help from every direction. “It’s huge, send all units... the building’s on fire... we’ve got a gas leak here... I’m seeing multiple injuries here...”

Of course we fall deep into sentiment. Grown men weep. We sing How Great Thou Art, heaven knows why. We hang notes on trees. And the media devote hours of time to getting people stumblingly to recount how they felt, how they feel now, how they think they will feel eventually. Right after we heard from one ferociously protective über-mother about how her children needed to be shielded from harsh reality, we went to a bunch of about 50 yelling happy kids and some sensible adult who said, “Oh, the kids are fine, they deal with it in their own ways...” As we have always known, the kids will reflect the adults’ anxieties and hang-ups.

Here in Algies Bay we are far away from it all, and should avoid making judgements. What has happened in Christchurch is monstrous, and it’s interesting to watch how different people react. Some simply don’t manage. On the other hand, we have dear friends who know that, whatever might be the worst that could happen to them, it’s not any of that. Neither did they ever expect life to be serene.

A TV item the other day concerned a couple who bought their Lifestyle property in the Waikato somewhere, and built their Dream Home. It was all perfect, the money, the vistas, the ponies... until Transpower built a large pylon 9 metres off their boundary and hung transmission wires. These people see it as a deliberate planned invasion of their lifestyle. It wasn’t for this that they dreamed their dreams and earned their wealth. They are destroyed... being evidently so fragile. Well, tough. Get over it. Christchurch people are dealing with real issues, not mere ruffles to their lifestyle.