Shelley's Diaries for Geospatial
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Diary 1 - Monday 11 August 2014
Field Trip Name: Geospatial
Field Trip Place: Christchurch.
Diary: 1 of 4
Weather: Just about four seasons in one day
Where's Shelley: Travelling to Christchurch
Kia Ora everyone, Shelley here,
It was a ‘Dunners stunner’ this morning with warm, sunny weather but it didn’t last long. Black clouds loomed and around lunchtime it started raining, just as you headed to the airport. Luckily we left in plenty of time and didn’t have to rush in the slippery conditions. Alvin reminded us of how long it would take to get to the airport using his smartphone.
Useful geospatial data
It never ceases to amaze me how much we have come to rely on our phones and how much they use geospatial data to help us out on a daily basis. Just imagine how much harder it would be to try and find places without GPS! This week you will find out more about the clever geospatial technology and applications that are being used to help with the rebuild of Christchurch. It’s always exciting visiting Christchurch as you never know what to expect. This is the third field trip following the rebuild of Christchurch and it is fantastic to finally see lots of new buildings taking shape.
A Bumpy flight
Once aboard your ATR flight you were warned that it would be a bumpy flight. A norwest wind was buffeting Canterbury and the pilot did her best to avoid the turbulent patches. Alvin was disappointed not to be given any drinks on the plane but due to the turbulence the drinks service was cancelled. At first all you could see was cloud but eventually you popped out into clearer skies and could see a huge bank of cloud known as the norwest arch which hid the mighty Southern Alps. Braided rivers shone in the late afternoon sun and you could see huge areas of green farmland across the Canterbury Plains. Flying gives you such a great view of the land below and allows you to see how the land is being used. It’s no wonder that aerial photographs are so useful in recording land use and change. During the field trip you will find out more about how these images are taken and used, and how they are helping Christchurch.
Back to the future
By the time you made it to Christchurch it was a beautiful sunny day. You had time to take a look around Christchurch and see how much has changed since the last Geospatial field trip in 2013. The massive task of demolishing over 1000 buildings in the centre of Christchurch is almost complete and construction rather than destruction has begun in earnest. Once vacant areas of the city are now surrounded by fences and huge foundations are taking shape. It’s hard to imagine what the city used to look like before the earthquakes. Tomorrow you will be able to use some 3D technology to see what the city used to look like and what it will look like in the future.
Making History
The rebuild of Christchurch is one of the most significant events in New Zealand history. More than 10,000 houses need to be rebuilt and a further 105,000 are being repaired. There is also a massive project underway to rebuild the Central Business District. Thousands of extra workers are helping with this rebuild. Part of the challenge of rebuilding a city is finding out where everything is, and whether it needs repairing or rebuilding. Surveying allows accurate measurements of everything from property boundaries, to where services are located, and even how land elevations have changed. Over the next three days you will meet experts from Land Information New Zealand who specialise in finding this information and sharing it so work can be completed efficiently. You can find out more in the background pages.
The daylight began to fade as you took a look around Cathedral Square. Parts of the Cathedral remain while new hotels have sprung up around the Square. Take a look at the panorama of this. I recognised the old Post Office building and sculpture but other parts of the Square are completely different. Hopefully, tomorrow you can test out some new geospatial technology and see what is planned for this area.
See you in the morning,
Shelley the LEARNZ Field Trip Teacher (and Alvin)
