The Red Zone

Today, six weeks to the day, we got first access into our building since walking out after the quake. We were emailed on Friday to say that we would have access today, but then I got a call yesterday to say that was a mistake, and we wouldn’t have access. Other people in our building got told different things, so we decided to show up today anyway, and get the real story. Lucky we did. I don’t think we would be getting access for many months if we didn’t get in today.

The entry was staged from the old Woman’s Hospital site on Colombo Street. Forty or so business owners were given access today, all on High Street between Lichfield and Tuam St. People signed in, were given a safety briefing, then loaded onto busses to enter the Red Zone.

The bus dropped us off outside of Edison Hall, more correctly the demolished remains of Edison Hall. Wheelie bins were issued to everyone to place recovered items in.

Video

The view from the end of lane was unchanged from what I remember of it six weeks ago. The rubble hadn’t been cleared, and a crude wire fence erected over the Tuam Street end.

The front of the building suffered some parapet and upper facade damage, as well as damage to the far side as a result of the side of the pink building (Atami) collapsing onto the roof.

Some negotiations with a helpful engineer meant that we were able to go outside the designated zone and get into our building via Ash Street.

We were only inside for a sum total of a few minutes, I took some video as I entered.

Video Entering The Office

I don’t remember much of being in there to be honest, just grabbed the hard drives out of the Xserve RAID and server, grabbed the only unbroken iMac and got out. We could only take what we could carry over the rubble which still littered the lane. Absolutely everything was covered in a thick layer of mortar dust, the room was half flooded from rain water.

Getting access today gave me the impression that it’s going to be a very long road to get back in there again. There looks to have been nothing touched in there in the month and a half that’s passed. Under the balcony of the Twisted Hop sat someone’s jacket and a few other possessions in a neat pile, presumably left there back on Feb 22nd. There was a faint smell of beer coming out of The Hop. Weeds were starting to take hold between the paving stones down Ash Street. Given nothing had been touched in a month and a half, it’s hard to get an idea of when anything will happen to make the area accessible again. Somewhat worrying when this block is on the very edge of the red zone cordon.

Layton

A few misc photos from today: