Living inside the cordon

The Cordon with Kiwi & Singapore Army personal, a road closed sign and a few cones.

The area inside the 4 avenues is cordoned off and the barriers are manned by Police and Army personal, including our gracious friends from Australia and Singapore!

Living life on the edge, if I go over this line without ID, I can't get back!

The only way to get in is by having proof of residence and it is very strict.  With personal being continually rotated, we find ourselves showing our ID most trips through the cordon.  It can get stressful because while there are rules they are open to interpretation.  The other day I was told that if I took my car outside the cordon, I would have to leave it outside and walk back in, but the next day I was allowed out and in with the car.  There was also an interesting episode when some guests were told their access may be limited and we had to work hard to get their access guaranteed.  I am not complaining, I know its tough and this hasn’t exactly happened before and there’s a lot of stress.  This is just the reality of life behind the barrier.  On the plus side, it’s real quiet!  We do however, have to abide by the curfew rules which are 6pm to 6am and while I take pics from the gate at night if there is work going on at the Cathedral etc. I don’t go any further.  It’s very eerily quiet inside the cordon at night.

Inside the cordon there is another......cordon.

Today, a busy day dealing with multiple cancellations and bookings, time got the better of me and I mistakenly headed off down to Peterborough St. arounf 6.40pm……here’s what happened as I related it on Twitter.

So close but yet so far, so beautiful but so ruined

Busy busy day.....no time to go out.....so have just been out in the cordon......#eqnz

Work continues on the FB building - taken from inside the cordon

But Fark! I got stopped by three Boyz in Blue! They ask *what do you do?* I look at watch and think....oh shit....curfew....#eqnz

So I very clearly explained who I was and what I was doing........#pleasedontarrestme #eqnz

They ask who the other person was and I said it was my son......#eqnz

They said...*it's curfew time you know*...so I put on my surprised expression, looked at my watch and said.....Oh! shit its this time! #eqnz

They let me go ..... and I cycled home ...... #nottakentojail #eqnz

Today's lesson - don't go biking in cordoned area after curfew time without a cycle helmut on! End of report from inside the cordon #eqnz

Was gonna ask for a pic with the iphone but the steely stare and cold voices told me *No! not a good idea!* #eqnz

Oh! When they asked me what I was doing I said *just getting some #eqnz pics for Twitter & Facebook* #GoSocialMedia

If I was arrested, judge would ask *what WERE you doing?* & I would say *Promoting the reconstruction thru social media, your honour* #eqnz

Lots of noise inside the cordon tonite from down past Peterborough St. 

Only the new light will tell.

As a footnote, lucky it wasn’t the policeman (use nice word) that I had a discussion with at the cordon yesterday….of I may well have ended up in jail!!  And that is outside the cordon!