Illustrated Epistle Extract: Going Down the Lockdown Levels in Lyttelton, New Zealand

We are going down the levels of Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand. When I last wrote we were at Level 4 and most of the country was quite happy to be constrained to their homes or thereabouts. We then spent a couple of weeks at Level 3, with a few more degrees of freedom, including the ability to paddle board (yay, trip to Quail Island!) and for work to restart on our renovation. We have now been at Level 2 for just over a week and things are getting a lot more fun as we have more ability to socialise. I have been around to a couple of people’s houses and met up with my Lyttelton cartoonist friend for a walk yesterday. She was sporting a new hair cut, but that hasn't been high on my list of things to do in Level 2.

Doodle-NZdiary-158.png Trying out bathtubs in level 2

Another important Level 2 activity was to go and see a dog we had only seen on Facebook.

Click to see options for using the image

Click to see options for using the image

Perhaps next time we will find the right dog for us.

The most important Level 2 milestone for Lytteltonians is probably the reopening of the bars. We went last Thursday (the first night you could go and just have a drink) and I found it weird, but I guess, like everything else we will get used to it...


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.

Living in New Zealand: Level 3 Trip to Quail Island to Gather Walnuts (Fail)

Level 3 of lookdown in New Zealand means that we are still not allowed to travel too far, even within NZ (though I am buoyed by the news that we may soon be in a trans-Tasman bubble with Australia). But we are now allowed out on the water, as long as we aren't in a powered craft.

Suits me.

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Click to see options for using the image

The autumn often means calm conditions in Lyttelton harbour, with very little wind and flat water. It has been very difficult to resist going out in Level 4, as the Harbour looked like a millpond then.

quail-island-from-magazine-bay.jpg

Conditions in Level 3 have been pretty good too. It was amazing to be on my paddle board last week with no jetskis or boats with outboard motors around me. The birdlife must be loving lockdown and there were noticeably more shore birds around the popular beaches of Quail Island/Otamahua.

Lepers Beach, Quail Island, Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand

Lepers Beach, Quail Island, Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand

But there weren’t any walnuts.

Scrumped apples and walnuts

Scrumped apples and walnuts

I brought back a big bag of apples and they cooked up beautifully. Stewed apple (with a couple of added feijoas) Is one of my favourite comfort foods.

And it's probably better for me than chocolate.