Christchurch Cathedral - New Zealand

This is one of the few rare postcards I received from New Zealand, showing the famous ChristChurch Cathedral with its spire (conical church tower) reaching to a height of 63m.

On February 22, 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake rocked the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The devastating earthquake was the most severe experienced by the city and as a result the two-century old ChristChurch Cathedral succumbed to the hit. The spire collapsed under the heavy jolt leaving behind a little of the base standing. The collapsing debris also caused damage to the roof the north aisle just next to the spire and the pillars inside the building.

Few months later in June 2011, an aftershock of magnitude 6.4 inflicted damage to the iconic rose window, leading to its partial collapse. As though to complete its unfinished business, an aftershock visited six months later in December 2011, this time demolishing the rose window completely.

The awe-inpsiring cathedral of beautiful Victorian gothic design that took some 40 years to build but suffered its greatest damage within a year. For the small community of Canterbury, the famous cathedral has been the residents' pride, as well as an iconic symbol of the city's identity that helps boost its tourism. However the fate of the church till today is left hanging in the air, with the church authorities opting for complete demolition fearing the impending danger of further collapse from the building's weakened structure, while diverse groups in the local community including structural and siesmic engineers expressing their confidence to restore the church to its former glory fortified with advanced anti-earthquake building technologies.

In the meantime, church goers and visitors have to be housed in a modern transitional cathedral called the 'Cardboard Cathedral' which was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and constructed out of cardboard tubes, timber and steel. The seemingly barebone structure that opened its doors in August 2013 restored the faith of the residents and tourists to certain level. However whether or not there would be a completely new Christchurch cathedral that would preserve its heritage is yet unknown. In this respect, the postcard now becomes the only avenue to admire its former beauty and glory.

Stairways to Heaven

Surrounded by lushness greenery and fresh air, the Banaue Rice Terraces overlooking Batad Village in the northern Philippines is the perfect vacation getaway if you want a break from the buzz and hustle (and pollution) of the city!

The rice terraces are some 2000 years old, carved in a staggered manner into the steep hills following their contours by the indigenous people of Ifugao, using their unique agriculture system sourcing irrigation from the mountain tops. The breathtaking view of the mountains and the terraces may delude you to believe that they are the "Stairways to Heaven"!

The terraces though still in use today, are being threatened by modernisation due to increasing influx of tourists, degradation when farmers switch to commercial crops enlisting the use of pesticides/herbicides or the younger generation migrating to the cities for better opportunities and livelihood.

The journey to Banaue is a 9-hour drive from the capital, Manila. But what is 9 hours compared to a day of euphoria and joy?

Rendevous with "The Dragon's Tongue"

The intense orangey glow at the incredibly steep Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado seems to suggest perhaps there is a fire-breathing dragon residing in its depth? Fear not, no dragon or creature has ever emerged from the crack but geologists have discovered that the phenomenon was due to the reflection of the early morning sun on the canyon's long, narrow crevice, earning the moniker "The Dragon's Tongue". 

It is said the canyon receives only 33 minutes of sunlight per day, thus the hideous name "Black Canyon". The occurance lasts briefly before the angle of sunlight changes as nature proceeds its course.

To visit the park, visitors can go via the South Rim where there is a visitor center. Hiking, fishing, rafting activities can be enjoyed in this park. Rock climbing is only reserved for the professional rock climbers due to the steep vertical drop.