Alex Hallatt 4/6/20 Alex Hallatt 4/6/20

Living in New Zealand: Covid-19 Lockdown in Lyttelton

Things have changed a lot in two weeks, though the port is still working. With far fewer ships coming in of any type. Click to see options for using the image

We have now spent just over aa week of a minimum of four weeks of lockdown in New Zealand. That means we don’t travel unless we need essentials like food. I have been to the Supervalue little supermarket once since we returned from kayaking (Duncan misses shopping more than I do and has made a couple of trips through the tunnel). It was too busy, with people struggling to maintain their two metres apart. Luckily, we don’t know of any virus here yet, but I was extra careful and wiped everything I bought down with detergent and bleach before I brought it into our house.

And the house. All construction work had to stop on lockdown, which means that we have no proper kitchen or bathroom.

So we have a camp kitchen.

And a loo on the lawn.

And we are sharing this interesting situation with two Swiss tourists who had nowhere else to go.

Thank goodness I have my studio to work in.

Alex Hallatt 4/2/20 Alex Hallatt 4/2/20

Living in New Zealand: The Last Trip: Kayaking in Doubtful Sound

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When I turned 50 last year, my lovely sister gave me a kayaking trip for my birthday. The boyf organised it at a time that no one had heard of Covid-19. When we travelled south all the bars and cafes were still open and things were relatively normal.

It was a beautiful, still morning when the ferry dropped us on the other side of Lake Manapouri.

Only when we were out on Doubtful Sound, did our guide tells us that his company had decided our group was to be the last that went on an overnight kayaking trip for the season.

Fiordland is beautiful. I had been to Milford Sound in a time of drought in 1996 when the waterfalls weren't running. We had no problem seeing waterfalls on this paddle and the scenery was spectacular.

I was only disappointed by the lack of wildlife. The dolphins didn't show up and there seemed to be fewer birds than I find in my garden. A worker on the ferry told me that it is common to see stoats or weasels and we heard possums at night in the campground. It is very hard terrain to trap pests in and it seems that introduced predators are decimating native birds.

A second day of wind and rain made me happy to get off the water and have a hot shower before we took the bus back to the ferry. We were going to be the only ones heading back across the lake until an announcement was made that the country had moved to Level 3 (shutting all bars and cafes) and would be at Level 4 (everyone but non-essential workers to stay home) in two days.

We drove home, stopping in Omarama overnight and happy that we had a home we could get to. Unlike the German and Swiss tourists who were on our kayaking trip.

Alex Hallatt 3/19/20 Alex Hallatt 3/19/20

Newsletter Extract: Coronavirus and Covid-19

What a difference a month makes. At the beginning of March a friend of mine visited from New York for a few days. By the time she left, her company had cancelled the European leg of the trip and she was fortunate to be able to get home before borders were tightened all over the world. Whilst she was here, we visited Akaroa where a cruise ship was in the harbour. Locals were mildly concerned, but I am sure they were more worried this week when a passenger had to be tested for coronavirus (they tested negative, to our relief, as the ship had been in Lyttelton the day before).

It seems that all that anyone can talk about now is the novel coronavirus. And as a biochemist who worked seven years in the pharmaceutical industry, I do find the virus and the associated disease fascinating. But like everyone else, I worry about the older and more vulnerable members of my family and our community. Tom Hanks may be able to Instagram his way out of it, but this virus will take its toll on those with impaired lung function or weakened immune systems.

My parents are in their 70s. They still live where I grew up in Dorset in the UK. Dad has stopped going to lawn bowls and choir and Mum has stocked up her already well-stocked pantry. This is a good thing as the UK government has said Britons over 70 will be told "within the coming weeks" to stay at home for "a very long time". Thank goodness…

This is an extract of my Illustrated Epistle, which goes out in the middle of the month. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a cartoonist (specifically, mine). I'd love it if you signed up at the bottom of this page, or here:

http://eepurl.com/cCOOeD

Or head to the archive to read more here.

Alex Hallatt 3/16/20 Alex Hallatt 3/16/20

Living in New Zealand: Eels

I guess you get eels in the UK, but I’ve never encountered any. I’ve seen plenty in New Zealand, though their numbers are declining because of human activities around rivers and out at sea.