Returning to Deflux Plaza post-Quake

Last week we made it back into the building for a scant 2 hours to recover essentials and reminisce about the good old days - and that crazy morning prior to the quake when we were blissfully unaware that we were about to be rocked - and not in an awesome Bon Jovi way - for a second time.

Driving back into the city centre was eye-opening to say the least. The eerie silence and emptiness; the damage; the ability to travel at 60 kms the wrong way down a street. The smell. Suffice to say if this town does get rebuilt in the next five years it will be a miraculous effort - we are all in for the longest of hauls to get back to "normality".

The building is actually in quite good shape, although most of Hereford St on our side of the road is in danger of coming down and they were bringing Avonmore to the ground as we turned up. When we got to the office the place was a mess so we made a call to go for the essentials and get out of the place soon after.

So we jammed what we could in a trailer, left most of the cool things that made the office great - the toys, the books, the Atari, the NES, the Amiga, the Red Bull fridge, the  C4 coffee machine. With bookcases collapsed, screens broken, and most stuff wet from exposure to the elements or covered in dust it was a reminder that you can't actually go back.

So onwards and upwards. We're the lucky ones, operating out of Cashmere and full speed ahead. We've launched some great sites and working on some exciting projects that I'll cover soon... but in the mean time spare a thought for anyone located in the CBD - it's not pretty and our thoughts are with you all.