SEA BEAR

 

A sailing blog about a skipper and his yacht

Lockdown in New Zealand

Self isolation on the boat

By now I had planned to be back home in UK but I found myself trapped in NZ with the lockdown.

Corona virus pandemic was starting to grip the world and the NZ government was taking early and tough measures, announcing self quarantine measure for arrivals in NZ and soon following up with a ban on non New Zealanders arriving in the country. At this stage there was only a handful of cases in NZ and with the testing programme they knew that all the cases were people who had come to NZ from infected areas. As soon as there were two cases that they thought might be from community transfer they announced a level 4 lockdown. All cafes & resteraunts and shops apart from supermarkets closed and all business to close. Everyone to stay at home in their own bubble and with no non-essential travel, allowed out only to go to the supermarket and for local exercise.

Although the British govt was urging all Brits to return home, this was impossible – there were no flights and almost all the transfer hubs for flights had closed.

The morning of the lockdown (25th March), was eerily quiet, gone where the sounds of work in the boatyard, traffic on the roads very light and very few people on foot.

The Hatea loop, a 4.2km cycle and walk way that loops from the Town Basin and canopy bridge and down one side of the river crosses the Te Matau a Pohe bridge (fishook in Maori) and back up the other side, normally very popular and busy, was virtually deserted.

 Te Matau a Pohe

As well as the Hatea loop, I am lucky that right on my doorstep is the Parihaka Scenic Reserve. Parihaka is an eroded volcanic cone 241m high and there are 3 tracks up it. From the top there are marvellous panoramic views over the town & harbour and right down the estuary to Whangarei Heads. My favourite is the Ross track, from the end of the tarmac, the track follows the stream ascending by the side of a small waterfall by a wooden staircase. The track carries on up through the native bush and there are a  number of Kauri trees. Opposite the largest of these is a handy bench for contemplation. I generally push on preferring a non stop ascent. Sometimes I stop in descent when I generally take it slower anyway to ease the creakey knees, legacy of a lifetime of bashing up and down the mountains.

Kauri tree on Ross track

The other tracks start by following the Hatea river, there is a boardwalk through a mangrove swamp then up through the woods before branching up the hillside. Near the top of the Dobbie track are the remains of a Maori fortifications (a Pa site).

It is a good circuit to ascend and descend by different tracks and switch ways up to add to the variety.

My other form of exercise is on the bike, a folding Brompton. A couple of circuits of the loop or taking the 10km Onerhai cycleway/walkway which leads to the Waimahanga walkway, a track following the estuary and partly the course of an old railway line.

All in all it’s not to bad being stuck here in Whangarei, I am probably better off (and safer) here than in the UK at the moment. I was looking forward to being back home and catching up with every one, I am missing my family & friends back in UK. The future is full of uncertainty but others are in a worse situation than me and my thoughts go out to them.

Around and about Whangarei

Back in Whangarei, Wendy and I  did some nice walks in the Whangarei Heads area. We walked to Smugglers cove and Bream Head and also over Mt Aubrey with its dramatic pinnacles.

Smugglers Cove

Mt Aubrey

We paid a visit to Tutukaka and the marvellous coastline there walking  from  Matua bay to  the glorious Whale bay taking in a glorious  swim here.

Closer to Whangarie we walked along the Matea river to visit Whangarei falls with a swim in the pool here and a walk along the tree walk of AH Reed memorial park with its large Kauri trees.

Whangarei Falls

Wendy on bridge over Hatea river

Hugging a Kauri

All too soon Wendy’s time in New Zealand was up and I was left once again to my own devices.

The Pasifika Fusion festival provided diversion for a day with lots of dancers from the Pacific islands.

Pasifika festival

I walked the Hatea loop several times, shopped at the growers market for fresh fruit and veg, drunk Flat whites in town but also  more energetically cycled the cycle track along the estuary and through the mangroves to the jetty at Onerahi.

On the Hatea loop

Waka Sculpture

Whangarei town centre

Heron preening at the marina

Another day I walked up to the Abbey caves, an area of caves and eroded limestone boulders which was interesting to explore.