British billionaire Sir Richard Branson has this morning witnessed firsthand some of the earthquake damage in central Christchurch.
Sir Branson joined Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker on a trip to the periphery of the red zone in the central city today.
He said it was sad to see some of the buildings left on a lean and damaged as a result of the quake but he was impressed by the reconstruction efforts now underway.
Branson said he had spoken with Mr Parker about creating an entrepreneurial prize to encourage people to help create more "green" space in the city as it rebuilds.
He is spending time in New Zealand before flying to Australia and will attend the Rugby World Cup final in Auckland on Sunday, where he says he will be backing the All Blacks.
