Plans Change

We've always  said that Covid can change plans in an instance.  With three cases (in the same family) of the UK Covid variant in the Auckland community, our PM and the Health Department have sprung into action.  Auckland has now been placed on Alert Level 3, and the borders closed, and the rest of the country is now in Level 2.  Instead of moving on to Waiuku, south Auckland after our stay in Oparau, we headed south to Otorohanga instead, staying at the NZMCA site while we await further developments.  Potable water is now available here, which is so handy, they were working on the installation last time we visited.  We needed a good top up on arrival. 

Staying at Otorohanga

Otorohanga is a busy bustling place and the main street is decorated with pretty hanging baskets. 

A trip to “world famous in Otorohanga” Haddad’s shop was needed.  This establishment has been in town for decades, and sells all sorts of men’s clothing, there were shoes and boots,  clothes on hangers, and cartons everywhere, rather like an Aladdin's Cave, I thought.  Robin was in dire need of some new shorts, so the owner whisked out his tape measure to check the size.  “I wont tell you what that says”, he informed Robin, went to a big carton, and produced shorts in the required size.  They fit well and felt very comfortable, so why not buy two pair, I suggested.  So he did.  That should see him right over summer.

Shopping at Haddad’s

Also in the main street is the Sir Edmond Hillary Walkway.  Not as I expected, the life and times of Sir Ed, but rather looking at New Zealand in earlier years.  There were info boards of such things as Weetbix, touted as thee “breakfast of champions, school milk, I was brought up on that, All Blacks, sheep, Aunt Daisy, who can remember her on the radio?  Plus a new board, all about Covid.

Everything Kiwi in here

And you have to admit that the public toilets really say something about a town.  I was rather intrigued with the writing on the front of the toilet block.

Otorohanga toilet block

We took a trip up to Te Awamutu and our group of eight all ended up at the Central Café for lunch.  Lovely food, and the walls were decorated with stars from the past, including my favourite, Elvis.

Lunch at the Central Cafe

So we had three pleasant days in Otorohanga, waiting further news.  Wednesday at 4.30pm was the time for the next announcement, will the restrictions stay or will they be lifted?  It was announced that Auckland will drop down to Level 2 and the rest of New Zealand will be back on Level 1.  So in our group there were discussions held, and opinions aired.  The majority consensus was to head south, even though we could now travel to Auckland if we wanted.  Just in case Covid raised it’s ugly head again in the Auckland area, we wanted to be well away and moving on the homeward journey.  So tomorrow we are moving on and will be staying the night at the brand new NZMCA site in Turangi.  It will be great to check this new facility out.

Meanwhile, Gemma couldn’t care two hoots about all this drama going on in the country.  As long as she is well fed, and gets plenty of attention, she is happy.  Here she is, relaxing on the caravan vanity unit, almost falling off, it seems.  She is certainly well relaxed.