On 22 February 2011, Christchurch police sargeant Dave Harvey was outside the earthquake-damaged Hotel Grand Chancellor on Cashel Street, unsure if anyone was trapped inside. In case they were, he grabbed a can of spray paint and painted 'Help is on the way' in one-metre high letters on the road. Harvey's quick thinking really helped the people trapped in the hotel, says Clare Mackey, producer of the new documentary Help is on the Way.
Crushed cars outside Winnie Bagoes on Gloucester Street. The cars were crushed when the top storey of Winnie Bagoes crumbled and fell into the street. A USAR code has been spray painted on one of the cars.
Damaged shops on Manchester Street. The front wall of the top storey of these buildings has crumbled onto the street, crushing vehicles. Emergency personnel have spray painted the word "Clear" on the cars to indicate that they have been checked for trapped or injured people.
Damaged shops on Manchester Street. The front wall of the top storey of these buildings has crumbled onto the street, crushing vehicles. Emergency personnel have spray painted the word "Clear" on the cars to indicate that they have been checked for trapped or injured people.
A concrete slab blocking access to the Medway Street footbridge. The footbridge was badly warped in the 4 September 2010 earthquake. Someone has spray painted graffiti on the concrete block. Behind the concrete is a section of safety fence further blocking access.
The front of Liquidity Bar on Oxford Terrace, a yellow-sticker in the window. Inspecting engineers have spray-painted the windows with 'TF3 clear 24/2 0720' and 'USA 2'. A poster stuck on the front right wall advertises a music event from before the February 2011 earthquake.
An abandoned residential property at 28 Waygreen Avenue in New Brighton. The front of the section is covered with weeds and silt from liquefaction. Three broken chairs lie outside the front of the house. The front door is open. 'HM' has been spray-painted in green onto the front wall.
A damaged building on Durham Street. Cracks can be been in the brickwork, as well as a pile of bricks from a damaged wall to the left. Wire fencing has been placed around the building as a cordon. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the front window.
Furniture spray-painted with drawings and words by members of the public as part of the Words of Hope project. A message can be seen, reading, "Rebuild Christchurch, be proactive, don't be reactive. Don't miss this opportunity, kia kaha".
The remains of Simply Catering Cafe on the corner of Salisbury and Madras Streets, which have been cordoned off by a safety fence. The business' owners have spray painted on the back wall of the building, "We'll be back". Behind the building an orange tarpaulin can be seen draped over a roof.
The remains of Simply Catering Cafe on the corner of Salisbury and Madras Streets, which have been cordoned off by a safety fence. The business' owners have spray painted on the back wall of the building, "We'll be back". Behind the building an orange tarpaulin can be seen draped over a roof.
A house in Christchurch with a red sticker on the window indicating that it is unsafe to enter. "No entry" and a large cross have also been spray painted on the front fence to warn people off. On the right side of the house, a tarpaulin can be seen covering a collapsed brick wall.
A view through cordon fencing towards the front entrance to the Croydon House B&B Hotel, the side wall of which crumbled. The front door has been removed and left in front. On the are spray paint markings left by USAR after the building was checked. Cordon tape restricting access to the buildings can be seen.
Exactly 2½ years (27/02/11 - 27/08/13) since the Queensland (Australia) SAR team TF1 spray painted this on a concrete fence in Armagh Street. Not many of these signs left now as many buildings have been demolished.
A photograph of an advertising image in the window of Sugar Hair and Beauty, on the ground floor of the Inland Revenue Building. There are search and rescue codes spray-painted on the window, and a pile of rubble on the footpath in front.
A photograph of street art on the side of a house. The artwork shows plants, kowhai flowers, two tui, and their eggs. There is a stepladder on the right-hand side of the artwork and spray paint cans on the ground in front of it.
The facade of the building housing the Daily Bagel and the Covent Fruit Centre has fallen away, leaving the building unstable and dangerous. The front wall has toppled onto the footpath leaving a pile of bricks. The front windows of this and surrounding buildings have been spray-painted with USAR codes 'No Go' and the times they were checked.
A portaloo ouside an apartment building, on the wall next to it is a red sticker, informing the public the site is dangerous and not to enter. On the other side are spray painted codes left by USAR after it had been cleared. This system was used following the February earthquake to mark buildings that have been checked.
Damage to Englefield Lodge on Fitzgerald Avenue. A pile of bricks lies in front of the house, windows are boarded up, and wooden bracing is propping up the walls. A spray-painted message on a wall reads "We will try to save this house." The photographer comments, "A bike ride around the CBD. Englefield, Christchurch's oldest house, in Fitzgerald Ave".
A photograph of emergency management personnel standing outside the Canterbury Trade Union Centre on Armagh Street. Emergency tape has been draped around the outside of the building and USAR codes have been spray-painted on a column near the entrance. Behind the building are several other earthquake-damaged buildings.
One right front black Mazda CX7 car door damaged during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. This panel once belonged to a Mazda CX7 car that was crushed by falling rubble during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Considerably bent out of shape, it demonstrates the potential danger from falling masonry during an earthquake. The spray painted markings...
One right rear black Mazda CX7 car door damaged during the 22 February 2011 earthquake; white USAR spray paint markings 'P/T // CLE[AR]'. This panel once belonged to a Mazda CX7 car that was crushed by falling rubble during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Considerably bent out of shape, it demonstrates the potential danger from falling masonry...
A view across Worcester Street in Linwood to a block of shops showing severe damage after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The businesses include Talon Arms and Wick's Fish. Masonry and structural components from the buildings has collapsed onto the footpath and road. A sign in front of Talon Arms has been spray painted with the words, "Guns gone".
A view down London Street in Lyttelton. The road has been closed to traffic because of the unstable and damaged buildings in the area. On the left is the Empire Hotel where bracing has been placed on the front of the building. On the right is a shipping container in front of the damaged Wunderbar. The word 'coffee' has been spray painted on the side.
Furniture spray-painted with drawings and words by members of the public as part of the Words of Hope project. Messages can be seen, such as, "Oneness, lovingness, synchronised hearts", "Take it easy! Yay...words of hope!", "Think differently", "Happy, happy, happy", "Christchurch FTW", "Life is for loving", "Life is beautiful", "Plant and grow", "Rise up", and "Keep going Chch".
Damage to the church hall of St John the Baptist Church in Latimer Square. Masonry has fallen from one of the building's gables and has been piled against its base. The site has been enclosed in a safety fence. A spray-painted sign can be seen at the base of the building reading, "Danger! Wall unstable, stay clear". A piece of plywood is also visible weather proofing the building's roof.
A photograph of the earthquake-damage to St Paul's-Trinity-Pacific Church on Cashel Street. A large section of the left side of the building has collapsed and the rubble has scattered onto the footpath and street below. Scaffolding constructed up the left side has also collapsed. USAR codes have been spray-painted on the wall in front of the building.
A photograph of emergency management personnel examining the earthquake damage to the Flight Centre's Link Centre on High Street. A brick wall on the neighbouring building has collapsed, falling through the roof of the store, and spilling out into the street. To the left, USAR codes have been spray-painted on the windows of the Coffee Culture.
Furniture spray-painted with drawings and words by members of the public as part of the Words of Hope project. Messages can be seen, such as, "Hope", "Something for everyone", "Equality street", "Food garden", "Opportunity from disaster", "We can do this Chch", "Chch = home", "Love", "Share the land", "Always time for change", "Life is beautiful", and "Sorry folks, this one is too much high rise!".
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the Cycle Trading store on Manchester Street. The gable of the store has collapsed, and bricks and other rubble have fallen onto the footpath in front. A car parked on the street has been crushed by the fallen rubble. The word "Clear" has been spray-painted on the front of the car. Wire fencing has been placed around the building as a cordon.