A week of chilling at home, doesn't happen very often. The garden needs tidying before I go south or the weeds no-one wants will be seeding by the time I get back. So I do jobs and more jobs and tire myself out trying to get 22 College Ave, home and garden, into order. It's a bit boring but by the time I get in the car to go to Alexandra, it looks wonderful. I give myself a pat on the back.
Sherry of Waltham
Omarama...nearly home
New Zealand celebrates New Year, but Covid mutes festivities elsewhere
6:48 am on 1 January 2021
New Zealand is one of the few countries where New Year festivities went ahead as usual, with restrictions in place elsewhere as countries struggle to curb new spikes in Covid-19 cases.
Fireworks from the Auckland Sky Tower during New Year's Eve celebrations. Photo: 2020 Getty Images
Tens of thousands of revellers gathered in popular hotspots such as Gisborne, the Coromandel, Central Otago and Tauranga to welcome in the New Year.
There were public events in most New Zealand towns and cities - many with entertainment and fireworks.
People told RNZ they feel lucky to be in New Zealand as Covid-19 is still taking hold of many other countries.
Julie Rixon from Red Beach, north of Auckland, was at the Sky Tower celebrations in Auckland with her family long before midnight.
She said they wanted to enjoy the city vibe after a challenging year affected by the virus. Rixon said she hopes vaccine efforts will be successful in fighting Covid-19 in the new year.
People watch fireworks during New Year's Eve celebrations in Christchurch. Photo: AFP / NurPhoto
In other countries fireworks displays and other public gatherings have been cancelled from Sydney to New York.
Festivities are being particularly muted in Europe, amid fears over a new more contagious strain of the disease.
France has mobilised 100,000 police to break up New Year's Eve parties and enforce a night-time curfew.
More than 1.8 million people have died with the virus across the world since the start of the pandemic a year ago. More than 81 million cases have been reported.
The sea water is warmer than any other year since I started swimming, 1998. The air temperature is too- more humid so winds that used to be chilling, now, are not. It's disquieting. Easier to swim but not as it should be. A harbinger of things to come.
Meanwhile I return to pick fruit at school where our earthquake work, delayed till now is encompassing major revamping of the school site. My food job for Christmas dinner is dessert, chocolate mousse, berries and ambrosia. Easy. Sharyn pops in for a coffee then Kahu and I go to Kate's with Ruth, David, Naia and Yazmin. Ham, salmon with little to no fuss. We drive to Alex's for a beach catchup and I leave Kahu. I'm too tired to pop into other celebrations, I'm either getting old or life has got harder. Happy to go home for quiet time.
David's a surfer so I take him to the beach on Boxing Day. Then the rain starts again. Sousa, the tile cleaner queen drops in to see my finished house and gets her gear out to clean tiles I haven't done all year. It's been a step too far but Sousa gives me the start I need and some cleaning gear. I can't leave it so long again. When the rain stops I drive over to Nicky's place in Te Oka. The family are there cutting down an old macrocarpa hedge to let in light and create space. A brave move as it takes years to grow macrocarpas that big. And it's heaps of work. I swim in cool water and am woken by a noisy bellbird at day break. It's so nice to be out of the city, away from the internet and life. Te Oka is another of New Zealand's little known, isolated scenic stars.
His helpers may be elf-isolating and the reindeer enjoying herd immunity but Santa is working hard to manage Covid risks this Christmas.
Meeting excited children at malls and stores around Canterbury despite the pandemic and his advanced years, Santa has adopted a range of approaches to keep everyone safe.
Key safety measures for 2021 are masks and social distancing – and no-one is sitting on his knee.
At Ballantynes department store in central Christchurch, families need to book in to visit Santa’s grotto and everyone aged over 12 must wear a mask. Eva Hills, 3, visited last week with her mum Renee Parsons and dad Michael Hills.
SUPPLIED
Eva Hills, 3, visits with Santa at Ballantynes in Christchurch with mum Renee Parsons and dad Michael Hills.
Parsons said they all had to sit forward from Santa, whose chair was placed between two Christmas trees.
“There was no contact with Santa. We thought it was funny. Santa had a mask on under his beard.”
Their photo will be one to keep, she said.
“It is a pretty striking photo. We just think it is a record of the times. This is what we’re living with at the moment.”
Ballantynes chief executive Maria O’Halloran said the safety of staff, customers and all visitors to the store was their priority.
The store had followed the Government’s orange traffic light rules, and customers had been very supportive, she said.
The sea water is warmer than any other year since I started swimming, 1998. The air temperature is too- more humid so winds that used to be chilling, now, are not. It's disquieting. Easier to swim but not as it should be. A harbinger of things to come.
Meanwhile I return to pick fruit at school where our earthquake work, delayed till now is encompassing major revamping of the school site. My food job for Christmas dinner is dessert, chocolate mousse, berries and ambrosia. Easy. Sharyn pops in for a coffee then Kahu and I go to Kate's with Ruth, David, Naia and Yazmin. Ham, salmon with little to no fuss. We drive to Alex's for a beach catchup and I leave Kahu. I'm too tired to pop into other celebrations, I'm either getting old or life has got harder. Happy to go home for quiet time.
David's a surfer so I take him to the beach on Boxing Day. Then the rain starts again. Sousa, the tile cleaner queen drops in to see my finished house and gets her gear out to clean tiles I haven't done all year. It's been a step too far but Sousa gives me the start I need and some cleaning gear. I can't leave it so long again. When the rain stops I drive over to Nicky's place in Te Oka. The family are there cutting down an old macrocarpa hedge to let in light and create space. A brave move as it takes years to grow macrocarpas that big. And it's heaps of work. I swim in cool water and am woken by a noisy bellbird at day break. It's so nice to be out of the city, away from the internet and life. Te Oka is another of New Zealand's little known, isolated scenic stars.
Friday is wind up- prizegiving assemblies for the 50% who turn up, then staff lunch. It's a subdued affair, everyone is too buggared, and I slip away early to the beach. I lie in bed on Saturday feeling the lightness and leisure 6 weeks of freedom brings. First time I've been into the Ferrymead heritage village, I go to a screening of Neverland in the restored cinema....across the road to Greg's pre Christmas bash. On Sunday Gerrard hosts carol singing. Robyn's got symptoms and has a covid test so I'm there by myself but so is everyone else and wine and conversation flow in direct correlation. I sit with the mayor, Lianne Dalzell, and put my foot in my mouth when I ask what she's doing now. "I'm the mayor," she tells me. Very down to earth, I like her. We have a rip roaring piano singalong then I bike merrily home.
Covid fades into the background while I relax, host Suzanne, make Karen's favourite cake, and slow down. But I listen. The case numbers are stable but returnees are bringing Omicron back and epidemiologist, Michael Baker, says if we don't reduce numbers, sooner or later it will get into the community. He knows what he's talking about.....
I forage raspberries and blackcurrants from the school garden, watch the demolition of the Maths block, go to an open mike Christmas celebration with Amana and check out her house fixing. It's built on sand, no wonder the floor sloped in all directions after the quakes. She's living in her van in the driveway but on her way at last.
I've survived the most challenging teaching year ever, ready to kick back for summer.
