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A river runs through it (Part 2)

A year and a bit ago I blogged “Having spent most of my Christchurch life living east of the Square and close to the Avon River, I’m pretty passionate about the delights of those riverside suburbs like Richmond, Avonside, Dallington and out to New Brighton. The river has always been a source of beauty, fun, exercise and general place defining for my family.” I was writing about a Spring Festival of activities along the river.

This time I’m writing about the February 22 remembrances. There is an official civic service in the Botanic Gardens which many may want to attend. For many others the simple gestures of taking flowers from the garden and decorating road cones or launching them into your nearest river may be how you remember our city’s losses and think about the future.

I’ll be going the Avon River which runs at the end of my street. I went there in 2012, in 2013 I went with workmates to the Avon near the Bridge of Remembrance. Both times it felt really nice. Rivers are soothing and interesting places. I’d encourage people to take a moment during the day to think about what has happened to our city and what the future might hold. And I’d say “take it to the river”.

• Memories of February 22, 2013
• Road cones and flowers
• Avonhead Park Cemetery Interment site
• Avonside/Dallington remembrance

Waka launch: Picturing Canterbury

Waka launch, Waitangi Day, Okain’s Bay, 6 February 1977 “As far as I know this Waitangi Day was the opening of the Thacker Museum at Okain’s Bay, and this was the first public Waitangi Day celebration to be held there. The tide was out, so there wasn’t much water in the stream. A TV crew filmed the event.”
Heritage Week 2008 Competition Entry
Highly commended – 1970s category

Explore our sampler of Waitangi Day photographs from our collection.

• Local pictures on the blog
• Browse our image collection