Hundreds of bouquets of flowers have been removed from Christchurch's Linwood Mosque today.
Seven people were shot dead at the mosque in the March 15 terror attack.
In the weeks since, piles of flowers, cards and toys have piled up outside the building as a tribute to the victims. Now wilted and rotting, it's time for them to go.
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"These are beautiful tributes and we are handling them with as much care as we can, because we know that they've been placed with love," Christchurch East MP Poto Williams said.
Around 10 people spent Sunday morning sorting the lot. The toys will be donated to the widows, letters and cards will be catalogued and returned to the mosque, and the flowers will be composted.
"[There are] a lot more flowers than I expected," local man Tim Baker said. "It's gone very well this morning - we've managed to get everything packed up onto three trailers."
For members of the Linwood Mosque, it's a symbol of what's to come.
"Today represents, in a sense, moving forward," acting treasurer Edward Wadsworth said.
"I don't speak for everybody but for me personally, it represents moving forward and also remembering the kindness and the love that people in the city have actually shown us."
Inside the mosque's doors, the cleaning up continued. Carpets were cleaned, windows replaced and bullet holes filled in.
The mosque opened its doors for prayer last week, and members have never felt so much love from their community.
"Anyone who has been here, even just visited or talked to somebody, that's doing a hell of a lot," Wadsworth said. "That's doing so much more than someone even realises."
While the flowers may be gone, members of the mosque hope the support will continue.
Newshub.
