The cordon around Christchurch's Red Zone has officially been lifted; Stuff reports:
The last remaining members of the New Zealand Defence Force were farewelled in Christchurch today.
Dozens of onlookers joined Prime Minister John Key as the soldiers paraded through the city centre.
Their job has ranged from security, to gatekeepers, to tourism advisers, sometimes even consolation for distraught residents.
The parade coincided with the official lifting of the cordon.
Over the weekend hundreds of people have walked through the area that was shut off after the February 2011 earthquake.
Building and demolition sites and traffic management for infrastructure roadworks mean some areas of the central business district will still be closed off.
This is another important step in Christchurch's return to normality. The sight of NZDF personnel guarding the Red Zone immediately after the 2011 earthquake was rather surreal, but as time passed it all seemed perfectly normal. Now however, there is not much that needs guarding.
And we spotted this on Facebook yesterday:
Kia kaha Christchurch. As every day passes the new Christchurch takes a little more shape, and it going to be a wonderful city in years to come. We're hoping to get down there in the next couple of weeks to see it for ourselves.
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