Post the earthquakes land has sunk and in this case the track is below high tide level. It would have been at least 500mm above the highest tide level prior to the recent earthquakes that started on 04/09/10.
All this is "red zone" after the earthquakes and has to be demolished. The roof of my "old" house (now owned by the government) can be seen between the third and fourth river-side houses.
With the land dropping about 1metre to 1.4metres after the earthquakes, a few roads besides the Avon and Heathcote Rivers are flooded with very high tides. Extra stop banks (on right) erected after the quakes have helped, but the road is now well below high water level. New Brighton Road, just short of New Brighton. The Pages Road bridge may b...
The result of the magnitude 7.1 Christchurch earthquake at 4.35am on September 4th 2010. Taken from Dallington Terrace looking towards Avonside Drive. Notice how the riverbank has slumped - at high tide the tree is now surrounded by water.
Water from the river at high tide crosses Evans Avenue and enters a now abandoned "red zone" house via the garage. Next door (to the left) is the garage containing a car that was destroyed by fire last week (see earlier photos).
There are occasional sewerage spills into the Avon River while all the sewer and road repairs are carried out. This rock wall was level and well above high tide level prior to the eathquakes. All the houses that can been seen here (except for those on the distant Port Hills) are in the suburban "red zone" and are still to be demolished.
The flooded Bexley Wetlands, now about 1 - 1.5metre below pre earthquake level. The short length of fence (mid ground) was on the "river track" that the council closed about three years ago. The whole track in this view is now under about 500mm water at high tide. The main track in front of the houses was, prior to earthquakes, below the leve...