Mike, 25, has been an urban explorer for the past eight years, having scaled the old Rydges Hotel and explored the now-closed wards of The Princess Margaret Hospital.
“I think it’s a bit of a lifestyle for sure. You can do it more casually but I think it’s better when people treat exploring with a bit more respect,” he said.
Mike is a pseudonym as he wishes to remain anonymous.
For those interested in urban exploring (urbex) Mike said it is important to follow the rules and be prepared.
There is a loose code of conduct for urbex, including no damage to property, no forced entry, never exploring alone and only exploring unoccupied premises.
“You definitely need to dress appropriately and wearing gloves and a headlamp is best,” said Mike.
Early in his urban exploring days, Mike and his mates were more daring.
As a self-described “dumb” 17-year-old, he snuck into the abandoned Rydges Hotel to see the penthouse view from the roof but ended up running from the police.
The central city hotel was closed in 2011 due to earthquake damage and is currently being renovated.
“It’s really cool seeing places kind of frozen in time from before the earthquakes. Christchurch is pretty unique in that way,” said Mike.
After making a tricky climb over a fence and scaffolding, he and two friends were able to enter the second floor through a gap left in a wall after construction work.
“It was a lot like other abandoned spots. It was pretty spooky. Some of it looks super untouched like bathrooms and some halls. Then other parts are covered in graffiti,” said Mike.
After taking in the cityscape from the roof, Mike and his friends emerged from the hotel to find an angry police officer waiting for them.
“Probably wouldn’t advise this these days, but we ran. We didn’t stop for ages and actually split up,” he said.
A mechanic in his day job, Mike now tries to keep his exploring more sensible.
“I’ll admit I was definitely a bit too reckless when I started, but being honest, that was part of the fun of it,” he said.
“The risk of getting caught can be really thrilling, but it’s important for anyone exploring that it’s not the main reason they do it.”
A time when Mike was not so lucky was while exploring the empty wings of the shuttered Princess Margaret Hospital.
“We got a good look in there and it’s probably one of the scarier places I’ve been. The place is huge and straight out of a horror movie,” he said.
Somehow an alarm was tripped and security guards arrived demanding they leave.
“They gave us a bit of a scolding and it was definitely a reminder to be more careful when choosing a location,” said Mike.
He understands some property owners feel defensive of their property, but wishes they could recognise there are many responsible urban explorers.
Mike tries to explore familiar abandoned buildings or find new ones most weekends.
The thrill and challenge of entering restricted areas had the most appeal when he was younger, but as he’s aged Mike has gained greater appreciation for the local history of quake-damaged buildings.
Two of his favourite places to return to are the Harley Buildings and Peterborough Apartments.
The Harley Buildings, on the corner of Cambridge Tce and Worcester St, were built in 1929 as a centre for doctor and dentist offices.
“It’s got lots of cool stuff in there. Lots of (abandoned) spots are pretty empty but there’s still so much – kind-of retro equipment and furniture and files,” said Mike.
The buildings are currently being demolished, which should be completed in about a month.
Later it became the Peterborough Centre and was occupied by various artistic groups until being converted into apartments in 1997.
Mike always follows the rules of urbex by never taking anything, but he does enjoy examining any items left behind like old dental x-rays in the Harley Buildings or vintage medical equipment at Princess Margaret Hospital.
“It’s sort of similar to tramping or mountain climbing where you’re able to discover new places on your own. There’s not much else in life like that.”
The Christchurch urbex community is smaller than it was last decade as more quake-damaged buildings are demolished.
Although typically done by younger men, Mike says people of all ages, careers and backgrounds enjoy the hobby.
“I had a girlfriend who got super into urbex and she really liked the photography side of things.
“Most seem to think urbex is just young idiots just going into places and wrecking stuff.”
It can be disappointing for him to see vandalism and crude graffiti in some abandoned spots.
“Most actual urbex people don’t do that. There are just some young guys who don’t show these places proper respect.”
Born and raised in Christchurch, Mike said urbex should be about remembering the pre-quake past rather than any destructive behaviour.
“A lot of these spots have a lot of history and it would have been cool if they could have not been damaged.”
As more quake-damaged buildings get demolished, Mike believes urbex in Christchurch will change.
“There is already a lot more urbex out in the suburbs these days. We’ll all be looking for more abandoned houses to explore.”
