TVNZ's long running religious and choral music programme visits Christchurch's Anglican cathedral. Before its devastation by earthquakes, it was the centre of the city and one of the most celebrated of its great Gothic buildings. It could also claim to be "the most visited, the most accessible and best known church in New Zealand". Host Graeme Thomson explores the cathedral, its chapels and bell tower and outlines its history. He interviews Dean John Bluck and introduces hymns and songs of praise sung by the cathedral's choir and an ecumenical congregation.
"New Zealand congratulates Peter Snell, one of the fastest men in the world." Middle distance runner Snell sets two world records on the grass track at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, in the 800 yards and half mile. "I was almost horrified at the pace ... I was had it by the time I reached the back straight ... I just went on on the thought of that world record." He reflects on a relaxing trip to Milford Sound, and champion coach Arthur Lydiard is interviewed. Also featured is the 1962 swimming champs at Naenae Olympic Pool under floodlights. Snell died on 12 December 2019.
This NZBC religious programme goes where TV cameras had never gone before: behind the walls of the Carmelite monastery in Christchurch. There, it finds a community of 16 Catholic nuns, members of a 400-year-old order, who have shut themselves off from the outside world to lead lives devoted to prayer, contemplation and simple manual work. Despite their seclusion, the sisters are unphased by the intrusion and happy to discuss their lives and their beliefs; while the simplicity and ceremony of their world provides fertile ground for the monochrome camerawork.
This booster's gem was produced by the NFU to mark Canterbury's centennial. The original Canterbury crusaders' dream of a model England colony is shown in settler life re-enactments. The importance of meat and wheat to the region's prosperity is extolled and a progressive narrative — "in one brief century they've turned the wilderness into fertile farms and built their red-roofed homes" — underpins contemporary scenes (cricket, church) and much bucolic (plains, alps) scenery. Trivia: Peter Jackson used an excerpt from the film to open Heavenly Creatures.
This 2011 episode of the Russell Brown-fronted media commentary show examines how Christchurch is dealing with the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes. First up: the CEISMIC Digital Archive is working to preserve the memories and experiences of Cantabrians, and The Press editor Andrew Holden explains why his newspaper is donating everything it has published to the project. Then CERA CEO Roger Sutton talks about the key role of media relations, and filmmaker Gerard Smyth describes shooting his acclaimed chronicle of the quakes: When a City Falls.
‘Moa's Ark' set sail 80 million years ago. David Bellamy becomes an ancient mariner and retraces the voyage of the islands of New Zealand (using contemporary science as his guide). In this first episode he finds out why New Zealand is called the Shaky Isles, gets face to face with the "living fossil" the tuatara, is inspired by meat pies, and discovers geography as he competes in the annual Coast to Coast race over the Southern Alps — with directional and gorse eradication aid coming from legendary race organiser Robin Judkins.
Holly Henry has this report.
It's been 10 years since the earthquake.
On Friday morning he spoke about the moment he found out about the terror attack.
But for some families, the fight isn't over.
Patrick Gower is back, with the first of his investigations as National Correspondent.
There is a 45 percent chance of aftershocks of magnitude 5 to 5.9.
Within 15 minutes more than 7600 people had reported feeling it.
The city still has big swathes of empty land after the earthquakes - but critics say fast-forwarding development is the wrong approach.
The original Commonwealth Games venue was destroyed in the earthquake.
At 12:51pm 10 years ago on Monday, Christchurch was changed forever.
"You displayed great fortitude in the face of sudden, overwhelming loss."
Ten years on and these recordings are a raw reminder of that fateful day.
As New Zealand remembers the disaster a decade on, here is a look back at the devastation.
"It can be years down the track that things pop up, you know, you just can't ask him a question."
"They represented a lot of safety and stability to me."
A total of 115 people died when the building collapsed following the Christchurch earthquake in 2011.
"The calls started coming in, and then you realised that this was a totally different kettle of fish."
When rescuers found her, she was still clutching the hand of her brother who didn't survive.
It's been a decade since the magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck that killed 185 people.
Today marks eight years since it struck rocking the region.
"If you're that woman get in touch it would be amazing to put those two together again."
The service will provide access to engineering, legal and wellbeing support.
A memorial service held a minute's silence for the 185 lives lost
Rosie Belton launches her new book Living with Earthquakes (and their aftermath).