City in transition
New Zealand | Anno 2019
Monday 25 March | Mount Cook National Park – Christchurch
Monday 25 March | Mount Cook National Park – Christchurch
For the first time in almost two weeks, luck is not on our side. Black, dark clouds hang low over Hooker Valley. There is no trace of Mount Cook to be seen.
As we begin our last day just after eight, there is a light rain. But real wetness is absent. Soon, we have a bone-dry road surface under our wheels. It seems like our good fortune has not yet come to an end. According to the weather forecast, it will rain almost everywhere on the South Island today, except in... Christchurch, our final destination. There, a temperature of 29 °C (84 °F) is expected.
From the west, a chilly wind blows towards us over the glacier lake
Lake Tekapo
Just like Lake Pūkaki, Lake Tekapo can boast a beautiful turquoise surface. But unfortunately, that's not the case today. You need the sun for that, and it's completely blocked by the heavy clouds. From the west, a chilly wind even blows towards us over the glacier lake. The wind chill feels much lower than the 19 °C (66 °F)indicated by the thermometers.
It's a short walk from the township to the Church of the Good Shepherd on the lake shore. Strangely enough, this unassuming church has become a tourist attraction. There's a constant stream of people, especially Japanese tourists.
A couple is even dressed in wedding attire. Armed with a tripod, they descend to the beach for the iconic photo, the bridal gown fluttering in the wind. But alas, Mount Cook is still nowhere to be seen.
Capturing the silent strength and simplicity of the early settlers in this church was the intention when they built this simple structure in 1935. It wasn't an easy task because the building regulations were very strict. The terrain had to remain untouched, inconvenient rock formations couldn't be removed, and even the thorny branches of the matagouri bushes had to be spared. It was meant to be a structure in natural stone, but the building material couldn't come from more than eight kilometres away and couldn't be processed in any way.
Without border collies, it simply wouldn't have been possible to raise sheep in this rugged land
Church of the Good Shepherd |
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Sheepdog Memorial – Dog Statue |
Yet the builders accomplished the task with distinction. It remains a popular place, not only for Japanese and other tourists who flock here, but also for believers of all Christian denominations who hold their services here.
The region is named Mackenzie, but it's not really a name to be proud of, as James Mackenzie was a Scottish shepherd who turned sheep thief around 1855. When he discovered this area, he was on the run from the authorities with his loot.
Eventually, the police caught up with Mackenzie. But retrieving the stolen sheep was a different matter altogether. Friday, Mackenzie's border collie, wouldn't allow it. The dog continued herding the sheep all by himself, even without instructions from his master.
James Mackenzie was a Scottish shepherd who turned sheep thief around 1855
The anecdote speaks volumes about the role border collies played in Mackenzie. Currently, New Zealand has over two hundred thousand sheepdogs. Without them, it simply wouldn't have been possible to raise sheep in this rugged land. They are highly respected here, so much so that in 1968, a short distance from the Church of the Good Shepherd, they were honoured with a Sheepdog Memorial called Dog Statue, paying tribute to the anonymous border collie.
Gradually, we leave behind the vast plains of Mackenzie. SH8 takes us over the 709 m high Burkes Pass. It's an easy ride, as the elevation difference is negligible. But the same can't be said for the surrounding mountains, which are high enough to block some of the cold from the west. It's getting warmer now.
The increasing flow of tourists heading from Christchurch to the immensely popular Queenstown is something Fairlie is eager to benefit from. However, this increased traffic has its downside, as becomes evident during the restroom break.
Because this is no ordinary toilet; it's a toilet with a mission. While you're happily urinating, you can't help but consult the road map strategically mounted above the urinals. The entire road network of South Canterbury is depicted there. Many hundreds of dots mark the spots where a recent car accident occurred. And that's not all. Each dot is accompanied by the cause – distraction, fatigue, driving in the wrong lane, or excessive speed. Percentages are not provided, but it seems that the dots where distraction played the main role outnumber the rest. Fiddling with the smartphone while driving, indeed. We've been warned.
Ian and Fiona Anderson certainly don't need to be told about the vital role dogs play in sheep farming. It's just before eleven, and we're guests at their sheep farm. This farm has been operated by the same family for three generations now, Ian's grandfather started it back in the day. Whether the next generation will continue with it, he doesn’t know yet, Ian says, as he only has daughters. A mysterious smile plays on Fiona's lips.
This farm has been operated by the same family for three generations now
Ian with two huntaways and a heading dog |
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Meanwhile, four sheepdogs are running back and forth as if they don't know what to do with their energy. Ian can barely keep them under control. But fundamentally, they do listen, he grins.
Although this is primarily a sheep farm, Ian and Fiona also have some cattle and even deer under their care. Diversifying is necessary because commercially, wool is declining. Fleece, among other things, threatens to replace merino wool. Oddly enough, according to Ian, wool keeps you warm when it rains, unlike fleece. And wool is non-flammable, unlike synthetics.
In the past, the carpet industry was interested in the coarser wool of romney sheep, but even that market is drying up. Nylon and other synthetics have become important players there.
Wool remains one of the major fibres in the world
Regardless, wool remains one of the major fibres in the world, Ian sighs. And the stuff keeps coming, every year, all by itself. So, shearing is necessary, otherwise the sheep will get too hot, and too many pests will infest their fleece.
To keep the wool clean, it's advisable to dock the sheep's tail, so it dies off. Perhaps a bit harsh, but if you don't do it, the wagging tail acts like a windmill, spreading faeces over the wool with every bowel movement.
Sheep shearing isn't done by the farmers themselves. They hire shearing gangs, professionals who can strip a sheep naked in no time. On average, a shearer does about two hundred sheep a day. Really good sheep shearers can sometimes shear three hundred sheep in a day. The world record is almost seven hundred sheep in eight hours – a little over forty seconds per sheep. Besides the shearer, there are also the rousies who clean up and sort the wool. Finally, the presser ensures the wool is packed into bundles.
Normally, you shear sheep every six months. In fact, there are two shearing seasons – summer and winter. But to save costs, Ian tries to extend the interval to eight months. Because 2019 will be the first year for him when the costs will exceed the returns. Shearing a sheep costs $2.60. When you factor in cleaning and sorting the wool, you pay $3.50 per sheep – about €2.10. While the wool fetches no more than $3.20 to $3.40.
Meanwhile, we've arrived in the shed at the wooden stage where it all happens. The back wall is made up of three sets of two doors each – one for bringing in the sheep and one for taking them out. Electric clippers hang between the doors. Three sheep can be shorn here at once.
Ian may not be a professional shearer, but he wants to show us how it's done. An unsuspecting sheep will serve as a volunteer. Actually, it doesn't need to be sheared at all, because it was only done three months ago. But it's the thought that counts, Ian chuckles.
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On average, a shearer does about two hundred sheep a day
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Then suddenly, Ian emerges from one of the doors, a sheep held upright in a grip. It takes some effort to get the struggling 75 kg mass of flesh under control, but once the sheep is in the right position – sitting on its rear end – it submits to the shearing without any resistance. We clock the shearing at three minutes and thirty seconds. Not bad for a beginner. And the sheep doesn't seem to mind at all.
Once the sheep is in the right position – sitting on its rear end – it submits to the shearing without any resistance
This farm has two thousand ewes. In total, they will have given birth to three thousand lambs this year – a ratio of one to one and a half. So, it's a good year, with lots of twins and triplets. Although Ian prefers twins to triplets. Because a triplet is too heavy for the average ewe to raise.
It's not their age that determines the sale date; it's their weight
The ram lambs born in September were sold from December to March, when they are three to six months old. But it's not their age that determines the sale date; it's their weight. Once they weigh forty kilograms, they're ready to go. At that point, they have about 18 kg of meat on their bodies. Ian and Fiona get $20 to $26 for each, but Ian sighs that it's not a way to get rich.
Ewes, on the other hand, are kept for six years. By that time, their teeth are worn down, so they can't graze anymore.
A healthy ram can mate with 100 to 150 ewes. But he takes his time. In practice, it takes about six weeks to get around. Mind you, the ram doesn't have to do much because the ewes in heat come to him on their own.
However, you can't just let this mating process happen naturally, especially with two thousand ewes to keep track of. So sheep farmers are cunning enough to equip their rams with a mating harness. It's a leather harness around the chest, which marks the back of the ewe with a colour as soon as the ram mounts her. Ian changes the colour every week so he can easily see which ewes have been mated and when. About five months later, when the births are imminent, he can then group ewes with the same colour.
Meanwhile, we're back outside, where the hyperkinetic dogs demand all the attention. Their weight in gold, they're certainly worth that, says Ian, referring to his two black-and-white heading dogs – alert, energetic, hyper-intelligent.
They know how to keep the sheep together and drive them in a certain direction without needing brute force or wild barking. They simply direct the sheep with their eyes, earning them the nickname eye dogs. Just hearing the farmer's whistle is enough to get them into action; they don't even need to see him.
Heading dogs don’t need brute force or wild barking. They simply direct the sheep with their eyes
Heading dog
In fact, these heading dogs are descendants of the border collie, a Scottish herding dog by origin. Over time, the Kiwis began breeding this breed better suited to local conditions – shorter hair, longer legs. Nowadays, a good heading dog will cost you around five thousand dollars – roughly three thousand euros. But you'll have an indispensable workmate for twelve years.
Even more energetic are the two brown-black huntaways romping around here. They too are the result of New Zealand breeding. But any resemblance to the heading dogs ends there. Chasing sheep – as their name suggests – is the only thing they can do. And they do it without any form of subtlety.
Chasing sheep is the only thing huntaways can do. And they do it without any form of subtlety
Huntaway
Huntaway
It's even a bit intimidating, the racket they make when Ian commands them to drive a couple of hundred sheep out of the pen. In a flash, they work their way over the wooden fence and chase the bleating herd ahead of them, barking wildly. Ian explains that deep in the genes of these sheep is still anchored the primal image of the wolf chasing after them. And that explains their behaviour.
Once the sheep have reached the open space, it's the heading dogs that drive them to a corner of the field – precisely where Ian wants them. The dogs run back and forth along the herd at lightning speed. Not a sheep dares to stray from the flock without them noticing.
It's half past two when we reach the familiar SH1 just past Geraldine. That road takes us quite straightforwardly to Christchurch, straight across the vast Canterbury Plains. The fact that such a large sediment plain has managed to survive here is largely thanks to Banks Peninsula. It's a peninsula just south of Christchurch, formed by the remnants of millions of years old volcanoes. If those basalt masses weren't there, the sea would have washed away this sediment plain long ago.
Building churches fit perfectly into the vision of the Canterbury Pilgrims, building pubs did not
When Christchurch was founded around 1850, it wasn't intended to become just another grubby colonial outpost of the British Empire. At least, not if the Church of England had its way. They were called the Canterbury Pilgrims, the 792 English settlers who arrived with the First Four Ships. They were supposed to build a model city, perfectly adapted to the needs of the class society that prevailed in the homeland at that time. Building churches fit perfectly into that picture, building pubs did not. Fertile land was exclusively given to noblemen because the common people couldn't be trusted. Thanks to wool production, those gentlemen would become even richer than they already were.
Meanwhile, the modest settlement has grown into a vibrant city with around four hundred thousand inhabitants. It's here that Ernest Rutherford conducted his first research. Ultimately, he would teach us that an atom consists of a positive nucleus around which negative electrons orbit. It's also here that Robert Scott set off on the Terra Nova in 1910 in search of the geographic South Pole. We know the dramatic outcome of that expedition. Today, Christchurch is one of the five international gateways to Antarctica – alongside Hobart in Tasmania, Cape Town in South Africa, Punta Arenas in Chile, and Ushuaia in Argentina.
When the earth first trembled in Christchurch on 4 September 2010, it was still manageable, relatively speaking. With a magnitude of 7.1, the material damage was considerable, but miraculously there were no fatalities. Then, on 22 February 2011, came the second major quake. Only 6.3 on the Richter scale, but the consequences were immense. A total of 185 people died, and fifteen hundred buildings were completely or partially destroyed. Over a period of four years, the Canterbury region would register 4,558 aftershocks with a magnitude of more than 3.0.
Today, nearly ten years later, large parts of the city still need to be rebuilt. Many people haven't waited for that and have immediately left the city.
As we head towards the battered city centre, Hagley Park passes by on the left. It's an oasis of tranquillity, a green space of 165 hectares (400 acres), a place where you can walk, exercise, and enjoy nature in peace. According to the guidebooks, at least. For us, that name only reminds us of the horrific events on 15 March. At that time, Hagley Park was the epicentre of the events because on the edge of this park, in the Al-Noor Mosque, most of the victims fell.
Christchurch |
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Graffiti CCC Worcester Street Parking |
Once Cathedral Square was a lively neighbourhood bursting with bustling cafes. Now it's a bewildering environment, a mishmash of cleared plots and dilapidated ruins, of sparkling new construction and historic buildings that have remained unscathed. And amidst it all, Kiwis go about their daily lives, trying to make the best of it. Here and there, you even see the result of creative efforts to bring some colour into the gloom.
Over a period of four years, the Canterbury region would register 4,558 aftershocks with a magnitude of more than 3.0
ChristChurch Cathedral
The symbol par excellence of that disaster is ChristChurch Cathedral. It weathered the first quake quite well. However, several quakes in 2011 proved fatal for it. In February, part of the tower and roof collapsed, later in the year, the beautiful rose window in the western wall was also destroyed. Moreover, the cathedral had faced trials before. During quakes in 1888 and 1901, it had already lost its spire.
What to do with the dilapidated cathedral was the subject of heated debate for a long time. A completely new building was what the church authorities wanted. But there was strong protest against that. It wasn't until last September that the decision was made – the cathedral will indeed be restored to its original state. The government's financial contribution played a significant role in this decision.
Christchurch – The Heritage Hotel
Yet, the faithful were not left out in the cold all that time. As early as August 2013, they could gather in the Transitional Cathedral. It is a temporary structure that accommodates 700 worshippers. It is designed to last for twenty years. The walls are made up of eight shipping containers, and the steeply sloping roof consists of 96 cardboard tubes. The building earned its nickname Cardboard Cathedral due to these tubes, although they ultimately proved not sturdy enough to support the structure and had to be reinforced with wood.
Worcester Boulevard
At the Avon River, the rain finally catches up with us. It's just a light shower, our first drop of rain in twelve days. It doesn't dampen our spirits.
Worcester Boulevard
Former Canterbury College... |
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...workplace of Ernest Rutherford |
We continue strolling along Worcester Boulevard to the west. Stately buildings emerge on the left. Nowadays, the Arts Centre is located there. However, for over a hundred years, it was the site of Canterbury College. This is the second oldest university in New Zealand, modelled after its great inspirations, Oxford and Cambridge. But with one significant exception – from the outset in 1873, girls were also admitted as full-fledged students. It was here that Ernest Rutherford, the atomic physicist ahead of his time, acquired his first knowledge at the end of the 19th century. An inscription reminds us of that.
An overwhelming sense of solidarity with the Muslim whānau wells up from the sea of flowers
Solidarity after the attack |
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Floral tribute on Rolleston Avenue |
A surprise of considerable magnitude awaits us on Rolleston Avenue. An immense sea of flowers colours the sidewalk at the edge of the Botanic Gardens. Flowers, bouquets, stuffed animals, hearts, ribbons, inscriptions... there must be thousands of them. The flower carpet, estimated to be about five meters wide, extends for two blocks – at least two hundred meters. Naturally, it is the victims of the terrorist attack on Friday 15 March who are being commemorated here. An overwhelming sense of solidarity with the muslim whānau emerges from the sea of flowers.
Just before six o'clock, we reach the Commodore Airport Hotel on the outskirts of the city, a stone's throw from the airport. They proudly display a Ferguson 20TE in the lobby. This is one of the original vehicles used in the Trans-Antarctic expedition by members of the British Commonwealth. Between 1955 and 1958, they succeeded in crossing Antarctica. No one had ever done that before – 3,473 km in 99 days. Compared to that, our journey through New Zealand pales in comparison – 3,860 km in 18 days.
Jaak Palmans
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