Community transmission has raised its ugly head and New Zealand no longer enjoys Level 1 freedom. Auckland has gone to Level 3 and the rest of the country is now Level 2 – for the next 12 days anyway. I’ve seen absolute nonsense written about our situation here. Don’t believe trash reports about our fascist government or how anyone who gets a cold is being ‘imprisoned’ in quarantine ‘camps’. How we’re all sheep with a socialist government in cahoots with some global new world order conspiracy (haha).
What we’ve got is a government that actually cares about disadvantaged folks on the margins of society and those who are vulnerable but don’t have a big say. The move to higher alert levels was swift to try and contain the outbreak as much as possible. This gives authorities a chance to ascertain the extent of the outbreak and make every effort to stamp out the Covid virus.
It’s tiresome to be in this situation but we’ve all been warned repeatedly that it was bound to happen again so here we are, no surprise. We’ll do what’s needed to stamp it out and then hopefully get back to the freedom we’ve enjoyed since 09 June when we moved to Level 1. Our government’s doing a great job and the majority of NZers back these measures. We have confidence in our leaders and top officials because they consult widely, take advice, weigh it up and actually *make decisions*. We know they prioritise our lives over the economy while also factoring in the economic implications – so there’s a high level of trust.
Sharing a photo Nigel took when we went to Invercargill on 09 July (Level 1 at the time). We visited Waxy O’ Shea’s Irish Pub and found a young people’s violin performance in full swing. It was great to see them all playing together, a range of younger to older children with a very cheery lady leading them (if it wasn’t for Covid she would’ve been leading an escorted tour in Ireland).
Click on the photo to enlarge
Level 2 covers most of the country (except Auckland). It’s still pretty free in Level 2 so it’s not a big deal. This afternoon Nigel and I visited a cafe in Lawrence – there were still lots of happy smiling faces. Level 2 means writing contact details, social distancing, hand sanitiser, and groups limited to 100.
Dunedin-based NZ writer Kay McKenzie Cooke did a response post today – it’s interesting and beautiful (nice photos), and I love how it ends…
“Yet life goes on. The seasons steam ahead. The sky doesn’t fall.”
LINK : Some Things Don’t Change
Text by Liz, photo by Nigel; Exploring Colour (2020)
Exploring Colour 
Anyone foolish enough to say bad things about your government ought to spend some time living under ours. I wish you luck, but I feel sure you’ll handle this as well as any group of people could.
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We’re getting there Susan! Government, civil service and scientists working together can work well when you have the right mix of people as we’re so fortunate to have at the moment. Jacinda of course is wonderful but our Director-General of Health has also been *amazing*, Dr Ashley Bloomfield. And really good teams supporting them. Very thankful for them. All the best, take care Susan xx
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It is indeed frustrating that you’ve had a recurrence but your country is handling it with care and responsibility. Wish I could say the same for us. Our numbers keep increasing and there is little leadership to try to reverse course.
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Your country is a complete mystery to me Steve, I’m quickly learning more about it this year though – but the situation in the US is deeply troubling at so many levels. Stay strong.
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It is a mystery to me as well, Liz, and I am coming to the conclusion that my mental health will be better off by trying to just stay away from politics and roll with the punches. Some attitudes are beyond comprehension.
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Yes, I agree.. some things I just can’t understand!
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Liz, I wasn’t sure how else to send this to you, so feel free to delete it. I thought you might find this story from CBC Manitoba interesting. Portage la Prairie is an hour or so west of Winnipeg. https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5687912
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I’ll leave your link right here Louella.. ‘The Wizard’ is such an icon in Christchurch! I was very interested to read the back story and laughed he shared barracks with French navy sailors in Winnipeg, “Now you can’t get further from the sea than in Winnipeg,” – very funny to me – given that in NZ we’re never far away from the sea 😀
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We spent one night in Invercargill in 2017. The highlight of stopping there was visiting nearby Bluff at the southern tip of the island and seeing large amounts of bull kelp.
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Bluff is a magic little port town, and I recall your lovely bull kelp photos. I hope you also saw the tuatara (live ones) at Southland Museum and Art Gallery – I’d rate them as the top attraction, the stars, of Invercargill 🙂
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I didn’t know about the tuatara in Invercargill. I did, however, see one at Zealandia in Wellington on our first trip:
https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/when-isnt-a-lizard-a-lizard/
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I remember that pic, it’s very nice! I did a post about the Tuatarium in Invercargill (March 2018), the big guy Henry is around 120 yrs old!: https://exploringcolour.wordpress.com/2018/03/24/into-the-tuatarium/
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Hard to believe a little critter like that can live to be 120 years old.
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I know, incredible to think Henry’s been around for well over a century 🙂
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CD and I were in Invercargill in 1995 and 2003 and formed a real affection for it. We particularly enjoyed the Strathern Inn, which we hope to patronize again some day. Glorious food!
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I haven’t eaten there Gary. A quick search found that it seems to have changed hands regularly so I’m doubtful it’ll now be like what you experienced then! I’ve just viewed a 1987 photo and it does look lovely in the photo!
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You have one of the most sane governments on the planet. But it’s not just the government. The US has a history of “rugged individualists” as a significant part of our culture. “Don’t tread on me” is alive and well as a battle cry. Our, uh, president plays to this portion while his policies and actions boil them like frogs. And they not only don’t notice, they fawn over him all the more. To say that he is incompetent is almost a compliment. More accurately, he is calculatingly suppressive. Not that I have an opinion or anything…
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Yes well, every day I read something new about the US that shocks me. Today it was about the assault on the postal service, so blatant it takes my breath away. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t get the US, I especially don’t get the mass adoration of the flag which never seems to wane however partisan the politics or unaffordable the healthcare, or how badly the veterans are treated who fought under that flag. I can’t get my head around your political system either. It’s a very steep learning curve for me this year! Take care Michael.
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Nice Liz! I’m impressed with the leadership and the decision making. It’s no time for the faint hearted at the top. It’s a shame that conspiracy theories are coming from some of our leaders too. Who ordered a global pandemic at the same time as an election?
I heard someone say that ‘complacency is a Kiwi character trait’ and it’s probably time we all had a sharp wake up. Stay safe you two.
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Great to hear from you Wendy! Take care my friend and enjoy the spring. Lambs everywhere down here and yesterday I saw two groups of calves. The early rhodos, magnolias and michelias are flowering, and daffodils and crocuses. The onset of spring soothes my soul!
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Love this! It’s a reasoned and thoughtful response to where we find ourselves. Thanks for the link to my response. I’m perhaps a little more world weary than you, but I do feel hopeful of freedoms remaining into the near future. Looking forward to plans I’ve made being able to go ahead after all.
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You’re my shining star Kay, nothing rocks you. I hope things still go to plan for you though, timing’s a bit uncertain these days eh?
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Stay safe as we flounder with 50 seperate edicts. Look across the ocean for a fascist wannabe. Thanks for the trip.
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My pleasure! Stay well. We walked up the road for some exercise a couple of days ago and heard a rooster crowing and crowing, over and over. Perhaps he had some competition!
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NZ’s way of handling Covid is a great example to the rest of the world – hope you get back to Level 1 soon. We still have a long way to go here…
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What a battle it is! I’m glad you have love, home and garden, art and photography. So much to treasure and not much need to go out. Stay well both of you.
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I’m lucky to have all these things! They keep me safe and sane too! I hope that you and Nigel will be able to stay entirely safe and well and that the Covid will be soon gone again.
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An excellent assessment of the situation, Liz! Up here in the Central North Island, life is continuing on pretty much as ‘normal’ too. The new normal that is, of swiping the contact tracking app entering shops and businesses, and sanitizing, and maintaining distance. But everyone is friendly and looking out for one another. Stay safe and be kind. ❤
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Thanks Sandy! Have a great weekend.
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Trust me, compared with the UK’s wretched regime your PM is a beacon of competence and reasonableness. Yes, there will be bumps along the road, but thanks to the vigilance of her government in the early months your road is much, much smoother than ours (or the roads in the USA, France, Spain, Italy, Brazil etc etc etc). You guys should be proud, we (the English, at any rate) should be ashamed … and some of us are.
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It was some UK political loudmouth Brexiteer, self-proclaimed christian, that I saw spouting all this nonsense to his many followers on Twitter. There was a heap of NZers all piling in setting the record straight *or* being sarcastic along the lines of “yes it’s terrible and we’re all being shot in the streets” 🙂
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Oh dear, I can only apologise on behalf of all reasonable, thoughtful Brits who are becoming increasingly disillusioned by what’s happening over here.
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That’s sweet of you! Take good care, stay safe in these crazy times Mr P.
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You too, Liz 🙂
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I get sick to the teeth hearing about ‘fascists’. It’s a word that’s bandied about by everyone who gets stopped for speeding, who is bawled out for putting other people in danger, aimed at anyone voicing a different opinion. I’d love to have a time machine and dump some of those cretins in 1930s Germany, stick a yellow star on their coat and let them experience real fascism.
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Hear hear! I so agree with you Jane but just as importantly you also made me laugh and that’s a great start to my Saturday here in NZ. Thank you Jane!
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I’m glad I made you smile. Ranting does have a funny side to it, or it ought to 🙂
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Eternal vigilance is the price we pay these days to ensure safety. I admire the cautious and decisive decisions made by your country’s leadership, Liz. Needless to say, things are going nowhere near as well here in the US, with over 1000 deaths each of the last three days. It is disheartening, to say the least, that we can’t seem to get this under control. Part of the problem, it seems, is the disjointed set of policies, but unfortunately part of the problem also seems to be the stubborn unwillingness of some of my fellow citizens to follow the most basic rules to limit the spread of the virus.
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I’m amazed how some people in the US are so angry and defiant in the name of their ‘freedom’, throwing tantrums and yelling at others in shops etc. So childish and they have no shame, no care for others. I just can’t imagine that in NZ. The extremely partisan politics that permeate life in the US is also a shocker to me. I think in NZ there’s a real push-back against nasty politics as we’ve seen how things have played out in the US. Also Jacinda has always strongly promoted kindness right from the beginning and that’s worked so well for NZ. I always think of you when I’m reading about the US and I’m glad you can at least get out to your wildlife haunts and still enjoy them.
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Here in Canada I have only heard good things about your PM, in NZ. There are always going to be some oddballs that say things, I just ignore them and stick to reputable news sources. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and we were a province with the lowest COVID cases in Canada, for a number of reasons that involved some luck. Now numbers have gone up here, mostly in two smaller cities & rural areas. We must all stay on guard and help one another.
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Glad to hear you’re relatively well off where you are Louella. Wishing you all the best xx
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