Arctic Circle's Frank and Oscar Send a Virtual Hug
Today we move from Level 4 to Level 3 lockdown in New Zealand. Which is still socially-isolating.
So I'm sending a virtual hug to my friends and far-flung family.
Living in New Zealand: Governors Bay and its Historic Jetty
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Near the head of Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupo, lies the small settlement of Governors Bay. We use to walk our dogs down by the shoreline and I loved walking to the end of the ridiculously long jetty. But that was a long time ago and the jetty has seen better days. It was falling into disrepair even before the earthquake of 2011, but that finished it off.
A lot of people around here love the jetty and don’t want it to disappear. A campaign was launched and ownership of the historic structure passed into the hands of the local community. If you want to see photos of this beautiful structure and/or ensure that the Covid 19 pandemic doesn't divert the funds needed to conserve this unique piece of history, head to the Save the Jetty website.
Arctic Circle Cartoons for Earth Day (It's Nearly as Old as Me!)
Oscar may have changed since I drew this over 10 years ago, but the message hasn’t.
April 22nd 2020 marks Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.
To celebrate that, I created Arctic Circle cartoons on how YOU can change the world. For the better.
A few things have happened since I wrote these strips, but the Covid-19 pandemic shows us that where there is a will, there is a way. And now more people than ever will have the tools at their disposal to make the world a better place.
To read the rest of the comics head to my syndicate’s site:
https://www.comicskingdom.com/arctic-circle
Illustrated Epistle Extract: Lucky to be in Lyttelton for Lockdown
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I knew Lyttelton was a special place when I arrived here in 2004. Now I thank my lucky stars to be in lockdown in Whakaraupo (Lyttelton Harbour), Aotearoa.
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My brother lives in an apartment in Valencia with his wife and young son. They have been in Covid-19 lockdown since mid-March and he has only been allowed out to walk the dog within 200 m of his home. He was super excited to tell us that from the 27th April the Spanish government will allow him out to walk with his son. Up until now, young children have been forced to remain at home all the time.
One of my sisters lives in London with her young family. The spread of the novel coronavirus has been far more extensive in the UK than in New Zealand and she worries that it may be months until it is safe to visit our parents (both in their seventies) in Dorset. And though the village of Briantspuddle is idyllic, Mum and Dad will go batty if they aren't allowed to leave it for much longer. Though I think Mum should try doing yoga classes on Zoom (a bit harder for Dad with lawn bowls).
My other sister lives in a flat in Auckland. Even there it is difficult, as she has to time when she goes out to exercise because of the crowds of people who are in the parks and at beaches.
So I know how lucky I am to be living in Lyttelton. I write this even though the back of our house is missing because lockdown started two weeks into renovations. This means we are cooking in a camp kitchen and our shower is in a toilet on the lawn. But I’m still glad to be here because we have so many more degrees of freedom than if we lived in other places during this pandemic. At Level Four, I could walk in the hills, cycle around the bays, or play dodgy tennis in my bubble. But I am relieved to hear that building work can restart on our renovation as we go to Level Three. And that, if the good weather lasts, I can go back out on my paddle board.
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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.