Shelley's Diaries for Geospatial
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Diary 1 - Monday 27 May 2013
Field Trip Name: Geospatial
Field Trip Place: Christchurch.
Diary: 1 of 4
Weather: Bitterly cold
Where's Shelley: Travelling to Christchurch
Talofa lava everyone, Shelley here.
One of the exciting things about visiting Christchurch is you never know what you’ll see. The city is constantly changing as more buildings are demolished, new ones are built and road works continue. The centre of Christchurch seems to change almost daily as the rebuild gains momentum. Alvin and I were keen to see how the city was doing more than two years after the Canterbury earthquakes.
Flying North
There was a fresh sprinkle of snow on some of Dunedin's highest hills this morning, so we were relieved to escape the cold and fly north to Christchurch. Luckily the bad weather didn’t affect flights and we enjoyed a smooth ride. After leaving Dunedin we caught only a fleeting glimpse of the land below. Looking westwards we could just make out the Southern Alps covered in snow and cloud.
Time and Space
It’s amazing to think about how our ideas of space and distance have changed as technology has improved. We not only know exactly where we are with the use of GPS (Global Positioning Systems) but we can also travel much greater distances more quickly. I can use my phone to get directions to places, map where I have been and even find out the altitude. We now rely on this geospatial information every day and it is also helping with the planning and rebuilding of Christchurch. We will be looking at this technology throughout the field trip. I'm sure Alvin and I will need all the help we can get to navigate around a city where landmark buildings no longer exist and roads have been diverted.
Challenging Times
The rebuild of Christchurch is one of the most significant events in New Zealand history and therefore requires careful planning. More than 10,000 houses need to be rebuilt and a further 105,000 are being repaired. There is also a massive project underway to rebuild the Central Business District. Over 30,000 extra workers are needed to help with this rebuild. Part of the challenge of rebuilding a city is finding out where everything is, and whether it needs repairing or rebuilding. Surveying allows accurate measurements of everything from property boundaries, to where services are located, and even how land elevations have changed. Over the next three days we will meet experts from Land Information New Zealand who specialise in finding this information.
Finding Our Way in Christchurch
After landing at Christchurch airport we headed into the centre of the city. We were quickly reminded of how many services were damaged by the earthquakes. There seemed to be road works everywhere and after several detours we made it into central Christchurch. Services such as water supply, roads, electricity, phone lines and sewage treatment have all been affected by the earthquakes. Most of these services are underground so roads often have to be dug up. This is when accurate geospatial information of where services are is essential. Imagine how popular you would be if you dug up the wrong piece of road to repair a broken water pipe! You can find out more about the work that is being done on services in the background pages.
Creative Use of Space
It was great to take a break from travelling and relax in a café. Many temporary buildings have been made from shipping containers. In fact a whole mall has been built from these brightly coloured containers. Empty sites where buildings once stood have also been transformed with the help of a little imagination. Coffee carts, dance stages, picnic areas, gardens and murals have helped to fill many. It's nice to see the centre of Christchurch coming back to life as vacant sites are filled.
Tomorrow we will find out more about how the city rebuild is progressing.
See you in the morning,
Shelley the LEARNZ Field Trip Teacher (and Alvin)
