Set during the 1974 Commonwealth Games, The Games Affair was a thriller fantasy series for children. Remembered fondly by many who were kids in the 70s, the story follows three teenagers who battle a miscreant professor who's experimenting on athletes with performance enhancing drugs. This first episode include some SFX jumping sheep; John Bach as a blonde, grunting villain, and a youthful Elizabeth McRae. It was NZ telly's first children's serial, the first independently produced long-form drama, and an early credit for producer John Barnett.
This documentary, made by TVNZ’s Natural History Unit (now NHNZ), charts the progress of the nor'west wind from its formation in the Tasman Sea across the Southern Alps to the Canterbury Plains and the east coast of the South Island. Along the way it dumps metres of precipitation on West Coast rain forest and snow on the Alps, then transforms to a dry, hot wind racing across the Plains. The film shows the wind's impact on the ecosystem and farming and muses on the mysterious effect it can have on humans. It screened as part of the beloved Wild South series.
A Week of It was a pioneering comedy series that entertained and often outraged audiences over three series from 1977 to 1979. The writing team, led by David McPhail, AK Grant, Jon Gadsby, Bruce Ansley, Chris McVeigh and Peter Hawes, took irreverent aim at topical issues and public figures of the day. Amongst notable impersonations was McPhail's famous aping of Prime Minister Rob Muldoon; a catchphrase from a skit — "Jeez, Wayne" — entered NZ pop culture. The series won multiple Feltex Awards and in 1979 McPhail won Entertainer of the Year.
December 2011
Scavenger Hunt 101 - SH 8 (abandoned building or ruin) The ruins/remains of what was the third highest building in Christchurch, pre earthquakes, the Price Waterhouse Coopers building in Armagh Street. At 76.3 metres ( 21 floors) the demolition has left the basement (now flooded) and these supports. Just one of many photos from Christchurch ...
See previous photo (exactly 3 hours earlier). Demolition of the support structure for NZ Breweries smokestack in Christchurch. CERES NZ's nibbler is at work, the pipe stack having been removed yesterday (Saturday). This is three hours after the previous photo, and just a pile of rubble sits beside the tree (largely undamaged despite being next...
What was one of the busier intersection pre earthquakes!
Where once were buildings! From the corner of Armagh Street and Oxford Terrace.
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These have been thrown in the Avon River
All red zoned and it looked like no one is living anywhere in Culver Place. All awaiting demolition.
Christchurch CBD earthquake rebuild lit in the last fading golden glow of the day - taken with 70-200 F4 IS from Mt Pleasant. I count at least three big cranes!
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Went for a drive down to South New Brighton/Southshore after work today to see what interesting birds I could find on the Estuary (godwits, skuas, terns etc), but passing Jellico Street, I saw this. T-Rex the seismic survey truck from the University of Texas that is visiting the city (first time out of USA). Weighs 30 tonne and from the marks o...
The Cranmer Court demolition started today in Christchurch. The 1876 building was originally a Normal School and was in a derelict state in the early 1980s when it was rescued and converted into apartments. The heritage-listed building was red-stickered after the February 2011 earthquake.
Helicopter Flight over Christchurch New Zealand
Liquefaction erupted throughout the city during each of the major earthquakes. It had to be cleared and everyone piled it onto the roadside, where it was eventually picked up by City Council trucks. The fine dust permeated the air for weeks, driving many to wear dust masks while outside.
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Note the innovative use of hay bales on the left side of the image.
The community centre in my old neighbourhood. Now it's an empty lot.
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The USAR [Urban Search and Rescue] Teams wrote their findings on the doors when they finished their search of a building. This building was cleared by a team from Queensland, Australia on 27 February 2011.
Closeup of the Grand Chancellor showing the south eastern corner, which is where it has slumped and broken and is now leaning in that direction. I note that they have taken some equipment out of the roof, you can see daylight through the gaps on the other side. The broken windows are also clearly visible with curtains hanging in some of them. ...
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Much of the CBD will be cordoned off and without power (as you should be able to spot) for quite some time as a result of the damage caused by February's deadly earthquake.
Another city walk around, this time with my brother-in-law from Auckland. Also went to the Quake City exhibition in the city organised by the Canterbury Museum. First fine day for a while.
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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.
Another city walk around, this time with my brother-in-law from Auckland. Also went to the Quake City exhibition in the city organised by the Canterbury Museum. First fine day for a while.
The area beside the lower Avon River in New Brighton of Evans Avenue and Admirals Way has been cleared of houses and boundary fences (there were between 15 and 20 houses on this block) , fully fenced with post and wire and "spray on" grass applied. These were all red zone properties acquired by the crown after the land was deemed too damaged t...