Today I was part of a group hosting one of the sites for the River of Flowers commemorative event. It was lovely to spend most of a very warm day sitting by the river in the shade of a tree, enjoying the gentle breeze. I feel very privileged to live in the area which is the cradle of Christchurch for both Maori and Pakeha. The Bricks, just across the road from my Cottage mark the place where Tautahi, high ancestor of the people of Kai Tahu, chose to site his Pa. He is the chief whose name has become the name of our city, Otautahi.
The Bricks is also the spot where the earliest Pakeha settlers landed in 1843, making it a bi-cultural heritage site. The Avon Loop Planning Association, of which I am the current Chair, hosted today’s commemoration, and the ceremony was led by a representative of Te Runaka ki Otautahi o Kai Tahu. I had the privilege of sounding a gong for the two minute silence, after which a lone piper played while people threw flowers in the river. About 140 people attended the ceremony, and many of them came to the Community Cottage for afternoon tea.
Throwing flowers in the river
At the end of the day I gathered up all the messages of hope which had been tied around the tree and are to be collated. I liberated some road cones from the SCIRT depot, and decorated them with leftover flowers.
“Toss flowers is the thing to do
On February twenty-two.”
Ruth's Reflections 
What a beautiful ceremony Ruth. Christchurch has been very much in my thoughts.
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As you know, Juliet, it’s vitally important to mark these occasions, and for people to be able to take some kind of symbolic action.
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I have thought of you all often today. The service in the Botanical Gardens sounded just so apt – a place of beauty away from the destruction and dust. Your river, flowers and road cones was wonderfully informal, allowing people their own thoughts and processes. Thank you for the history of the spot. Rest well tonight.
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I think the choice of the Botanic Gardens for the main public service was perfect. Since the quakes I have often walked there marvelling at how untouched the gardens appear.
I slept soundly, thank you!
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I wasn’t able to get out to any of the services so I am very pleased to read of your happenings in that sacred space that I know so well. I was throwing flowers by telepathy 🙂
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G, I have watched your telepathic/empathic flowers floating down the river with the others.
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Thank you. Much appreciated! Perhaps I should have dropped one, with a tag, in a nearby stream and asked you to let me know when it floated by your spot on the river 🙂
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