Lockdown 44/47 – Shaggy story

Day 44 of my diary of a LOTR Fan Museum owner during our national lockdown (extended from 28 to 47 days: 33 at level 4, 14 at L3) – in NZ we’re uniting as a country to beat Covid-19 to break the chain and save lives, but …

Well, it looks like the new job of STAY HOME, be kind, might be coming to an end. On Monday 11 May the PM is going to tell us whether NZ can go to Level 2, which would mean we can come out of our bubbles.

The borders will still be closed, and there’s still some social distancing, but it will be HUGE change and a maybe a near restoration of life before. Museums will be able to open - but this Museum probably can’t because getting into costume doesn’t really allow for social distancing. But, I’ll certainly be thinking through what the change will mean. Also, not sure how many Kiwis and Australians will be into visiting this Museum - it’s more an overseas tourists thing. But, without getting ahead of myself, it’s still super exciting and will be so cool to be able to visit my mum and other family and friends … and even go to a cafe!

But yesterday was a weird day. After the haircut debacle, I went for a cycle and did something colossally stupid. I stepped onto what I thought was solid ground but sank one foot up to my ankle in mud. Feet of clay for real! (Dead marshes!!!) I couldn’t even kick myself!

I finally got to wash off the mud at beautiful Scorching Bay half an hour later. And it was quite a mission scrubbing the mud with seaweed in the tide, rinsing it under the tap by the changing rooms, and finally the wipedown with my handy anti-Covid wet wipes.

Then, as I cycled off, I realised that the cafe was open for takeaway coffee! So, I had my first takeout coffee for 7 weeks! And, where better to do it than the former favourite cafe of the LOTR cast when they were based in Wellington for filming. Perfect coffee, perfect beach, perfect day!

To top it all off there was a shag sitting on a rock posing for photos. Magic.

Then home to the good news about the impending Level 2. And then later in the afternoon my first “zoom” meeting with workmate friends was just fab. Glass of wine at the ready I somehow forgot about my fringe disaster. What a pleasure it was to catch up with this group. Really cool people.

Maybe, just maybe, we’ll soon be passing the worst of this in NZ at least. There’s still the phase-in back to our new normal and all the casualties of the lockdown to work through (lives, families, livelihoods). So, I know there’s lots more to get through but this is huge. Best wishes, Kathy xx