My Christchurch - Nadine Kats

Christchurch continues to stand strong and recover after the 22 February earthquake. For ways in which you can help, visit The Red Cross New Zealand website.


Today at 12:51pm, the Kiwi flags which were flying at half mast have been raised. It was a sign of the courage and strength of Cantabrians, a sign of looking the bastard in the face and standing tall, a sign of dealing with it.

Mum called from Germany and told me to get on the next plane and take everyone with me, but that's not dealing with it. I wasn't born here, I'm not even a Kiwi, but I chose Christchurch as my adopted hometown and I’d choose it again. Any time. For me, dealing with the earthquake means remembering what I love about this beautiful city as I learn to keep my balance with every new aftershock.

I love the beautifully corny punters on the Avon river. The Kiwi accent adopted even by foreigners. The Jaffas and smiles I get with my coffee. My partner, a born-and-bred Christchurch man who lost a part of his past, but is determined to stay because this is home. The view over the grazing cows and the city beyond from our half-finished house. The scent of log fires in winter. The strange bird in our garden that shrieks and swears at every single aftershock and somehow makes me feel we’re not alone in this. The smiling man who empties the Portaloos. The ‘Rise Up Christchurch’ sign on one of the wonky fences. The inevitability of communally getting grumpy when the Nor’wester is blowing over the Southern Alps. The Facebook group for Mayor Bob Parker's orange jacket. The togetherness that persists while shovelling silt. The ever-changing trees of the Garden City. The oversized menus at Café Valentino. The sheep on the road in West Melton.

Yes, the roads are bumpy with liquefaction now, and last time I saw Café Valentino was in the rubble on the news, but the trees are still there. And they'll glow in the most beautiful autumn colours soon. And their auburn and golden leaves will fly, almost as high as the raised New Zealand flag.

After working for a German magazine and studying creative writing in London, Nadine fell in love with a Kiwi, then with Christchurch and shortly after with the whole of New Zealand. She is currently a sub-editor and writer (yes, her Christchurch office building survived), and she's busy working on her first novel, among other projects.