NZ In Tranzit

In response to a recent posting about the artful and obvious logic of putting a bus stop in Hawke Street, New Brighton, opposite the supermarket, regular correspondent Kiwi Louize said... I agree wholeheartedly. The Oram Ave stop is a desolate place. Freezing winds in winter and leering drunks who I used to worry would follow me home (as a kid). There could easily be a stop before this terminus close to the beachside playground, chartered club and supermarket. It’s the sunny side after all!     March 29, 2011 Further investigation reveals that the current status of the Oram Avenue bus stop has received a ZZ rating from international bus shelter consultants Stand-Hard and Pause. While hoons and leering drunks may remain a threat, this is now joined by a very uncomfortable seat, difficult to read signage and brick dust getting up one's nose.   The good news is that the stop is no longer shady and cold. Ps. Note no one died or was inju...

A report in the Otago Daily Times yesterday lists several firms not based in Dunedin competing for local bus route tenders. Despite the fairly modest size of the Dunedin system and small number of routes involved the keen competition may reflect an increasingly competitive bus industry. A potential shrinking or at least (to coin a phrase!) "shakey" market in tourism and reduction in what appear to be high bus-user ESOL students numbers, and reduced patronage in Christchurch in general (by virtue of population reduction and mass job losses likely, reducing key repeat user daily commuters) tough times may be ahead. Add to this the fairly aggressive spread of Waikato's GoBus into the South Island and all firms may be looking to widen and strengthen their footing. With Dunedin's eight year long tender Ritchie's gain a small but solid little foothold in Dunedin (helped by the Intercity long distance coach services they also operate through Dunedin) but wil...

NOTE; This posting was in preparation before the devastating earthquake - while it seems a bit trivial in the present context, there is also the need to begin to move on, get back to normality as far as possible. Also to think of more pleasant things. I think it might be a long time before the reviews of the alterations to the play area (CCC); and to The Metrostar route (ECan) get back in process but when-ever do comments here might be relevant. Or as always, possibly have some greater "universal" relevance to non-Christchurch readers "I have long  been moved by the artless and unsympathetic location of bus stops on Hawke Street for Metrostar buses"   I am not a particularly adept gardener but I do love landscaping. It is a real challenge to prune trees and shrubs to create a pleasing shape and integrity in themselves, and a harmonious relationship to each other. I like creating natural looking shapes (or at least curved and gracious shapes) and visua...

Just another common place New Zealand main street ? Or a treasure we need to acknowledge and pro-actively work to preserve across the nation? Waimate's former post office, now restored/maintained as an Information Centre - but under current policies only few such buildings find a new use and in some cases get added earthquake protection I have just had a wonderful (not least, aftershock free!) seven days holiday perambulating about the lower South Island, including overnight stays in such small towns as Waimate [main street, photo above] in South Canterbury and super historic old gold mining town, Lawrence in Otago.  It has come home to me the single most significant day-to-day heritage feature of most people's lives are not churches or grand houses and the buildings typically preserved for public visits but the Victorian and Edwardian Street (and occasionally art nouveau, art deco etc) main street and central area facades. To me thes...

Don't read this wrong; disasters can be very specific; across town many cafes are open and booming. This is inner city area, closer to the earthquake epicentre, in Barbadoes [sic] St. Here some lads put together a vege stall for inner city residents, post earthquake. In the background one of Christchurch's great institutuions for over 20 (or is it 25) years; PIKO wholefoods shop. Photo Thanks Briar Cook This local EQ Facebook site says it alllllll    For details of what was a particularly ferocious earthquake, even by global standards check out details here

The Orbiter in new guise as a "Link Service" at Parkside termius near Christchurch Public Hospital. In the background one of the new "Selwyn Star" buses, which now operate services to Rolleston, Burnham and Lincoln. Post Earthquake II - It appears the Central Business District of Christchurch will be out of action and not available for public access for several months whilst about 500 buildings are demolished and thousands of others checked, repaired or strengthened. Like most public transport systems the Christchurch Metro system pivots around the CBD so this will present huge complications. As a first step towards restoration of public transport in Christchurch bus routes that used to travel through the city (eg from an outer suburb in the north to and outer suburb in the south via the CBD) have been split in half and now for the moment are operating only hourly 7am-7pm travelling to/fro one suburban terminii to a "close to city area"terminii  o...