This afternoon Bruce and I went on a bike ride from Avonside through the residential red zone (which is land that was so badly damaged from our earthquakes that all houses have been demolished – entire neighbourhoods are gone). We followed the Avon River right up to New Brighton and then through Bexley and back to Ferrymead. We did about 30km in total and stuck as closely as we could to the river. At times, we got quite disorientated as there are no street signs on some streets. Many of the streets are closed to cars but allow pedestrian and cycle access.

There are still a few houses in places, guessing they’ll demolish them eventually. Though it looked like a few here and there were still being lived in.

Horseshoe Lake – a lovely spot, but the entire neighbourhood behind it (image below) is completely gone.

The Bexley Wetlands.