Christchurch Itinerary
23 Apr 2013
There has been a lot of interest in the Christchurch pre-conference tour. The tour includes visits to Redcliffe School and Avondale Girls. So if you haven't registered yet it might be worthwhile considering. Download the itinerary below.
Site visit one: Redcliffs School
Redcliffs School is a seaside primary school with a roll of about 300 students at the time of the earthquake. It lies at the base of a volcanic lava flow (hence it’s name). The face of this cliff fell onto the rear of the school and the school was evacuated to another nearby school for 6 weeks while the stability of the cliff was investigated. The school was then shifted for a second time to its present location and is there until at least the end of 2013. It is still unknown if the school can return to its original site.
Site visit two: Avonside Girls High School
This will entail an overview of the school’s experience and their plans for the future.
Avonside Girls High School provides a single sex option for about 1200 girls in the eastern part of the city. Its riverside location meant it was particularly susceptible to liquefaction during the earthquake. The students were then transferred on a daily basis to Burnside High School (near Christchurch Airport) for their schooling. Subsequent damage investigations resulted in about 90% of the school being demolished over the course of 2011, and a new prefab/modular school being built in time for the start of the 2012 school year.
Geotechnical reports indicate that the school can be rebuilt on the site, but a final decision is yet to be made about the long-term future of the school.
