Wanaka Sun | 02 - 08 April 2020 | Edition 968 by Wanaka Sun

Lockdown

INSIDE THIS WEEK

What are we doing?.

Views: Page 9 Sport: Page 12

PAGE 6-7

Long way home Mal makes it back from SA..

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The first day of lockdown and a lonely cyclist heads down Ardmore Street. Perhaps they were hoping for that last chelsea bun from the Doughbin? The streets of WÄ naka are empty and the lakefront deserted. No cars, no boats, no children in the playground, no tourists flocking to the iSite venue. Businesses have shut up shop and are hurting. There is no doubting the lockdown is affecting them- and not just those in the tourism industry, but right across the board.

Coronavirus update: Retirement village staff member tests positive Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

staff member at Aspiring Lifestyle Retirement Village has tested positive for coronavirus after their spouse tested positive a day earlier. Retirement village director Aaron Armstrong said the staff member received a positive test result on the afternoon of Friday, March 27. They had left the village midday on March 25 in preparation for the nationwide lockdown and had not returned. Staff were advised of the positive test on Friday, and any who might have been in close contact with the positive staff member were sent home that day to isolate themselves and were not returning to the village. Residents were advised on Saturday. Only one resident was considered to be a close contact,

and they were isolated like everyone else in the village, Armstrong said. Family and support people were now the only visitors allowed into the Aspiring Lifestyle Retirement Village. "The only people entering the village are family and support people dropping off supplies at the front gate, which is operated by security and caregivers considered essential workers by the government," Armstrong said. "We are in close communication with the medical officer of health and are following all of their guidelines and recommendations and any resident or staff members that develop respiratory symptoms will be tested," he said. There were 13 staff and 177 residents in the village. Southern District Health Board (SDHB) was testing 38 staff and undertaking extensive cleaning of Lakes District Hospital, Queenstown,

following notification that two nurses had been diagnosed with coronavirus. The public health team was investigating to find out how the nurses contracted the virus. "We are aware of a number of cases in the Queenstown area that are likely, due to community transmission. And we are exploring all possible ways of exposure for this nurse," SDHB said. While there had been two coronavirus patients cared for at Lakes District Hospital, the nurses did not provide care directly to either of these patients. There were 31 cases of coronavirus in the Queenstown Lakes district yesterday . Health authorities were still trying to locate 257 attendees of the Boehringer Ingelheim World Hereford Conference in Queenstown earlier this month after 24 attendees tested positive with coronavirus, five within the last 24 hours.

A statement from the Ministry of Health, and Southern and Canterbury District Health Boards on Monday said they had identified 840 close contacts from the conference and had tracked 583. The 400 conference delegates from 20 countries travelled widely in New Zealand. Before the four-day conference, some went on a five-day North Island tour which took in Auckland, Rotorua, Napier, Masterton and Wellington, with visits to seven farms specialising in hereford cattle. The tour finished in Wellington on March 8. Then, after the conference, on March 14, some delegates left Queenstown on a five-day tour to Te Anau, Invercargill, Dunedin and Christchurch. During the tour, they visited eight farms in Southland, Otago and Canterbury. The tour ended on March 18. Continued on page 3

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Wānaka mountain guide’s long way home Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

When Wānaka mountain guide Mal Haskins left Ushuaia (Argentina) on the Oceanwide ship Plancius, bound for the Antarctic Peninsula, he could never have known he would return two weeks later to a changing world. Haskins, along with Twizel guide Dave McKinley, was employed by Oceanwide to take the ship's passengers mountaineering and glacier walking on the peninsula. This was to be his fourth trip down to Antarctica for the summer and due to be his last. The Plancius left Ushuaia for the peninsula late February. What was going on in China and Italy was happening before they left, Haskin said. So the crew had vetted passengers for coronavirus before they embarked, taking temperatures and checking where they had travelled. "There was a rumour that there had been a case of covid in Ushuaia when we left. Then as we sailed, news started coming in on what was happening around the world. I felt a little bit warybut was still comfortable we could complete the trip, and everything would be ok. "We started the trip and got a couple of days

across the Drake Passage when we started to get the news that countries were closing their borders. As soon as I heard this, I felt worried and thought everything was going to happen. "We were in our own bubble, but I could see how the NZ was reacting- you could see the government was stepping up." Then a whole lot of other things began to evolve. Haskins said, including Argentina closing down all domestic travel. Other ships ahead of the Plancius were able to get their passengers off at Ushuaia and back to the Northern Hemisphere. "The positive we thought we had was that we all left from Argentina and none of the passengers had travelled through the most hazardous countries. We still hoped we would be able to get off in Ushuaia as ships ahead of us were disembarking there," Haskins said But just before the Plancius left the Antarctic Peninsula, the Argentinian government closed down the port. Heading for Ushuaia was no longer an option, Haskins said, so the ship headed for Buenos Aries. The passengers and crew were told they could disembark there if they had a valid airline ticket to leave Argentina that day. However, there

were riots at the Buenos Aries airport and crowds stopping planes from arriving. Haskins said they heard the same thing was happening in Chile "The NZ embassy started to fire through information, and so did our insurance group. And then the Argentinian authorities said "nope, you aren't coming to Argentina" and that's when we decided to head for Montevideo, Uruguay as a last-ditch effort to get off the ship and home. "On the morning of March 24, we arrived in Montevideo. At that point, Argentina and Chile had closed their borders completely. Uruguay and Brazil were still open." “We discovered we weren't able to fly from Uruguay to Buenos Aries but could fly to Santiago (Chile).” The Uruguayan authority’s protocol for getting people off the ship was called the "passage sanitary," Haskins said. Passengers were taken off the ship in lots of 20 persons. They were dressed in masks and gloves and bused through the city to the airport with a police cavalcade. We travelled at 80kms straight through the city, Haskins said. “We were dropped at the airport, and that’s where Dave and I thought we would get caught in Uruguay because one of the things you need

when you get off a ship is a letter from an agent to say this is arranged and you are not jumping ship. “We didn't have this and immigration said they couldn't let us leave. We wouldn't have been able to go back on the ship because it was now in quarantine. Thankfully, in the end, we got the document from the agent, and we got on the flight with about two minutes to spare.” From Santiago, Haskins and McKinley caught a flight to Auckland. It was full of Kiwis, many of whom seemed to think this was a “great end to a holiday” and that they would get to Auckland and be able to head to their homes, Haskins said. “At Auckland airport immigration checked us for symptoms, what countries we had been in, and what our plans were for isolation. We were packaged through domestic all ready to fly to Queenstown when immigration called us back. We got bused into Auckland and located in the Medura Hotel.” Haskins will be at the Medura for two weeks. He said he is very tired and happy to rest up. “We are allowed out to exercise, but not for long,” he said. “There are police at the front door and Ministry of Health officials downstairs. There is a meal plan with multiple options. At the end of the 14 days, they might look at getting us home. I hope so.”

PHOTOs: supplied

Wanaka mountain guide Mal Haskins is just happy to be back in New Zealand after a long trip back from the Antarctic Peninsula.

Mal Haskins has worked four trips to the Antarctic Peninsula this summer as a polar guide.

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The ship Plancius belongs to the Dutch company Oceanwide and takes tourists on cruises down to Antarctica.

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Coronavirus update: Retirement village staff member tests positive Continued from page 1 Some delegates also attended the Wānaka A & P Show held on March 13 and 14. In the Southern Health District, the total number of people who had tested positive with coronavirus had risen to 98 by yesterday That included 97 confirmed cases and one probable case. One Southern case was in Dunedin Hospital in a designated coronavirus ward. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases continued to escalate across Otago and Southland. On Monday it was confirmed there were 14 new cases in the Southern District Health board's catchment area - which covered the centres of Dunedin, Invercargill and the Queenstown Lakes. The southern region has a population of 329,000. Authorities said most cases in the region were directly linked to international travel, the World Hereford Conference and the Wānaka A&P Show.

The largest number of cases in the region was in Dunedin with 30. There were eight confirmed cases in Invercargill. Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult said the 31 cases of coronavirus in his district was "heart-breaking." While the majority of cases could still be connected to overseas travel, there was continued concern over the risk of community transmission and cases unrelated to travel, he said. Southern District Health Board chief executive officer Chris Fleming said he was "concerned with the relatively high numbers. "But to date, the numbers requiring access to hospital have been relatively small, which is positive." Dunedin Hospital's Intensive Care Unit could be expanded if more coronavirus cases required treatment at Dunedin Hospital. Boult reiterated the need for everyone to STAY HOME.

EDITORIAL What is deemed essential media and what is not? Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Last Friday, March 27, Ministry of Culture and Heritage decided that non-daily newspapers and publications were not an essential service for the coronavirus Level-4 nationwide shutdown. Without consultation, newspapers and magazines that didn't come out daily were taken off the media list of essential services, leaving many community-driven papers including the Wānaka Sun unable to be printed or distributed. This was done in the name of safety, the government said. There was too much risk in their production, and the delivery to people's homes. And at worst, because they were supposedly not supplying vital, urgent information to the public. The Free Speech Coalition came out blazing saying no High Court would uphold a bureaucrat deciding what media could or couldn't operate. This decision was made without any consultation, it said, and based on only daily newspapers and broadcast media being deemed 'essential'. As I see it, at a time of emergency such as we are in now, no civilised society can justify the Government deciding what parts of the media are important and not important. The adage 'this is a dangerous precedent' is often overused, but in this case, it is true. Assuming the smaller publications can take the same distance and health measures as the ones currently publishing, there is no justification in shutting them down. Its bollocks. The media industry, including the Community Newspapers Association (CNA), pushed back hard on the ban, arguing community papers provided just the sort of advice and information needed for readers in a time of crisis. Many community papers have an online presence and would try to keep their readers informed via the internet. But the physical paper is considered to have a strong bond with older readers and in some districts those who cannot or do not receive broadband and therefore, a digital news service. This decision made is probably the most significant in the lifetime of print news in this country. Even at times of war censorship, the Government didn't choose who could print and who couldn't. Monthly publications like North and South, the Listener, and community

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newspapers such as the Wānaka Sun serve a vital role in the community's conscience and holding leaders to account. That is just as important as daily news. These magazines and newspapers are functionally no different from the likes of music radio or entertainment television, which is allowed to continue broadcasting. Then on Monday, the issue was discussed again by the cabinet coronavirus committee. Jacinda Ardern said at the daily briefing she expected to announce a decision on Tuesday, which would be contingent on publishers agreeing to safety issues for staff, work from home and hygiene practices. She acknowledged many people obtained vital local information from the community titles. So watch this space…. Well hooray, yesterday, Tuesday. the government did an about-face. It is “refining its coronavirus essential business guidance” to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said: “the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to reach having access to news publications, which can share important upto-date public health messaging during the coronavirus emergency.” The guidance has expanded to cover news publications that serve a need for hard to reach rural communities, with reduced connectivity, a criteria into which the Wānaka Sun falls. The government asks that if the publication can be provided by online means it should do so – the Wānaka Sun went online this week. But it understands there are remote communities unable to access up-to-date information by other means. “The Government recognises that these were already difficult times for traditional media across the sector, even before coronavirus hit, and that restrictions which remain in place for other publications, such as non-daily magazines, are adding to their financial challenges,” said Faafoi. Sadly the Wānaka Sun will not come out in print for a few weeks. The economics don’t make it possible. However it will be available online on: https://www.thewanakasun.co.nz/ or https://.facebook.com/WanakaSun/ Or if you would like an online version emailed to you contact hello@thewanakasun.co.nz

Lockdown losses, not a four-week fix Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

There is no doubting the lockdown is affecting Wānaka businesses- and not just those in the tourism industry, but right across the board. Naomi Lindsay of Ignite Wānaka said:” We do know that businesses will be disrupted hugely. We have already said there is no sugar coating this; it is an economical, as well as health, emergency.” Wanaka was within Otago for all Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) stats so Ignite had no accurate number on how many businesses were actually in Wānaka. Along with Lake Wānaka Tourism(LWT), Ignite would start to check in with businesses, “but that will take time and won't be 100 per cent accurate as it's based on our lists/ databases and won’t include non-commercial ratepayers,” Lindsay said. “We also can't predict the loss of revenue for private businesses as this information is confidential to them. Only a month or so later will we get spend-stats- so we will get February's soon, then March and April later.” “MBIE carries all the local data and they can track the reduction in salaries paid etc. per location. So again, retrospective data.” The closure of most businesses for a month has raised the issue of how much rent commercial tenants should have to carry on paying. Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult is encouraging all landlords to consider rent holidays or reductions. "I spoke with one major commercial tenant (last) Monday who expressed that they’d rather give a break to their tenants and allow them to continue without paying rent on the basis they can start their business again and go forward," he said. Otago Property Investors Association president Kathryn Seque said that while she accepted the importance of conversations between landlords and tenants, and negotiations to avert businesses from "going under", there was the issue of the governmentimposed rent freeze to consider. While the freeze would not prevent landlords reducing rents, landlords were concerned the reduced rents for the lockdown period might become the "new rent for the rent freeze" and the rent freeze "may go on for over a year",

Seque said. The association of 1000 members had yet to receive clarification from the government. Landlords had their businesses to take care of, Seque said. They were not entitled to the mortgage holiday granted to some homeowners, and she advised her members to speak to their banks before making decisions about rent. Property owner Alan Dippie, who had tenants whose businesses were considered essential as well as others that had closed down, said it was "a matter of working through each situation individually". One of the unknown factors, he said, was how long each business would be affected. Those in the health sector would not be affected at all, some would be affected for a month, but others, like those in the tourism industry, could be affected for many more months. Wānaka commercial property owner Gavin Humphrey said he was aware of the pain that retail businesses were experiencing. Many landlords had given rental relief to tenants to see them survive during this period. “This leads me to the question of council rates and specifically the tourism levy aspect of the commercial notice. This levy goes to LWT to promote Wānaka to tourists both domestically and internationally. My question is, with no international arrivals and little domestic potential, what are tenants paying for?” With NZ in strict lockdown and movement control order, coronavirus will probably be contained quicker here than the main international tourist markets, he said. Global border control will not be able to loosen until those countries have contained their outbreaks. “Think of Australia’s woeful response, similar to the US, and you conclude that Australian tourist arrivals could close until a vaccine is distributed. This is not a four-week fix. Your main tourist markets could be heavily restricted or closed for twelve months or more.” Humphrey believed the levy and LWT should be suspended immediately. “This is also a good time for local businesses to debate the future of LWT. Tourism will not be the same on the other side of this event. Perhaps you could use a large public relations agency to do a better job for fewer costs. Salary, vehicle, travel and accommodation make up most of the LWT costs.”

Are you practising social distancing? Dear Customers, Stay safe, stay calm and enjoy this time to stop and relax at home. We´ll see each other soon enough. Thanking you for all of your support.

Aspiring Medical are pleased to announce we are now offering virtual and telephone consultations. Book these via ConnectMed or by phoning our friendly reception team.

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Don’t be an idiot- stay inside Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult is actively urging people to abide by the government’s rules and stay indoors during the coronavirus lockdown. There have been several reports of people going outside and continuing to take part in leisure activities – such as playing disc golf or football – in the district. Not only is this flouting the rules, but it is putting themselves and others in danger. “It’s imperative to follow the government’s directions during this trying time,” Boult said. “The rule is clear: while you can go for a walk or bike ride in your neighbourhood, you must not otherwise go out unless necessary. Doing so means you are breaking the law and putting people in

danger. We’re all in this together, and we all have to do our part.” The government’s ‘stay home, save lives’ message applies to everyone. As several reports involved groups of young people gathering in public, parents are encouraged to make sure their children aren’t going outside unnecessarily. “The whole of New Zealand is going through a lot of pain and heartache, and this is wasted if a few idiots show utter disdain and put people in danger. Their attitude is completely unacceptable,” Boult said. “We are a strong community and now, more than ever, must work together for the common good.” If you are concerned about others who are not self-isolating, the first thing you should do is encourage them to comply. If they don’t, call 105.

Central Otago rates increases revised Pat Deavoll

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PHOTOs: Supplied

Disc golfers have been caught in the act.

ORC opens online consultation on Annual Plan 2020-21

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A proposed rates increase in Central Otago is being revised due the anticipated hardship brought on by the coronavirus on the region’s economy. Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said: "Your council understands the financial challenges that coronavirus will bring to households across our district. I want to assure you that your council is working hard to find ways to significantly reduce the proposed rates increase while maintaining crucial services and providing civil defence functions through these hard times." Cadogan asked people to remember there was a range of essential services that a council must continue to deliver, such as safe drinking water, sewerage and rubbish collection. "Some of those services have increased costs that we cannot control. "We also have to balance the need to recognise the economic impacts of the lockdown on ratepayers while recognising the crucial role council projects may play in the economic recovery." How rates would pan out was unknown at this stage, he said. "We don’t have the answer yet, but I want to assure you that we will be delivering a proposed annual plan that will be markedly different to the one out for consultation. "Our goal is to ensure the lowest possible impact on you, the ratepayer, during a time of financial hardship."

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PHOTOs: ORC

Otago Regional Council (ORC) chair Marian Hobbs.

Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

Otago Regional Council (ORC) chair Marian Hobbs said circumstances had changed drastically in the two weeks since the Annual Plan was approved for consultation on March 11. “We completed an ambitious annual plan for consultation weeks ago. We can't be sure where things are headed in the near future, but the plan outlines what we hope to be able to do from July onwards. “We’re keen to hear from the Otago community about the proposed annual plan. We know there’s a lot of uncertainty in NZ and the world at the moment, however we hope people take the time during lockdown to have their say about what we have planned to look after Otago’s environment.” The public is encouraged to have their say through ORC’s online platform, YourSay: https://yoursay.orc.govt.nz/annualplan The YourSay page includes a rates estimator so that people can get an idea of what their rates will be, as well as a summary of the activities ORC hopes to carry out and a space for people to ask questions. ORC will update the YourSay page with alternative ways to meet online in lieu of community meetings. “We had planned to speak with the public faceto-face around Otago, but obviously can’t do that at the moment. Instead, we encourage people to head online to tell us what they think, and of course they are welcome to contact their local councillor directly,” Hobbs said. Feedback can be given on the Annual Plan from now until 24 April, and after that there will be hearings so people can speak to their submissions. ORC is looking at how this will be done, depending on the nationwide alert status, and will provide more information at that time. The Annual Plan 2020-21 will then be adopted at a council meeting on 24 June.

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan says on the Annual Plan 20-21 Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan says on the Annual Plan 20-21:“Your council understands the financial challenges that coronavirus will bring to households across our district. I want to assure you that your council is working hard to find ways to significantly reduce the proposed rates increases while maintaining crucial services and providing civil defence functions through these hard times. “Please keep in mind that there are a range of essential services that a council must continue to deliver, like safe drinking water, sewerage and rubbish collection. Some of those services have increased costs that we cannot control. We also have to balance the need to recognise the economic impacts of the lockdown on ratepayers while recognising the crucial role council projects may play in the economic recovery. “We don’t have the answer yet, but I want to assure you that we will be delivering a proposed annual plan that will be markedly different to the one currently out for consultation. Our goal is to ensure the lowest possible impact on you, the ratepayer, during a time of financial hardship. “That said, it is vitally important that you still submit on our draft annual plan. We especially

Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan.

PHOTOs: ORC

need your input on whether council should join the Local Government Funding Agency. We were asking for your thoughts on this before the coronavirus hit with a view to spreading the cost over time for our big infrastructure projects but it is even more important now as we will be considering using debt where possible to ease the rates costs through these hard times. We are required to consult with you before we can do that, so please ensure you submit.” – By Tim Cadogan

Help for plight of immigrant workers in QLD Pat Deavoll

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

A meeting between Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult and the Minister of Immigration Iain Lees-Galloway delivered significant progress in assisting the district’s immigrant workforce. Mayor Boult described the meeting as constructive and helpful to the urgent plight of many immigrant workers in the Queenstown Lakes District who are now unemployed following the lockdown. “The minister well understood the scale of the issues brought on by the current coronavirus crisis and was grateful that we had brought it to the government’s attention so rapidly,” Boult said. The minister undertook to enable several initiatives aimed at easing the situation for those on the essential skills working visa. These were: • An automatic extension of expiring working visas with immediate effect.

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• The ability for working visa holders to be redeployed to alternative workplaces with immediate effect. • Eligibility for working visa holders to apply for hardship grants from the Ministry of Social Development, also with immediate effect. “What the Minister has provided will considerably ease the stress of many in our allimportant immigrant workforce, which is a big part of our local community. It will allow for urgent welfare assistance regardless of nationality, and for the redeployment of workers into industries which are critically short of workers due to border restrictions - like horticulture and viticulture - once the logistics around the lockdown and training requirements are considered,” Boult said. Since going live with registrations Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) had received 335 requests for community welfare via its website.

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The last piece of the Wānaka Pre-school playground update Joanna Perry

Pat Deavoll

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

A “passion project” to upgrade the Wānaka Pre-school playground, led by teacher Melanie ChurchillI, who passed away in April last year, is almost complete as the final piece of the project comes together. Stephen Hedley contractors, friends of Churchill, are bringing together her vision for Wānaka Pre-school's playscape by developing a riverbed with an elevated pump. Lead teacher Katrina Brewer told the Wānaka Sun that the project would enable the children to “sustainably source water and experience the magic of water flowing down under a bridge and pooling at the bottom.” “Wānaka Pre-school is working towards green/gold enviroschool status. Installing a pump means the children will have to work to access water, which supports the initiative to ensure water isn't left running while playing in the sandpit,” she said. “Water is an important part of our local curriculum and having our very own riverbed for children to explore and engage in hands-on learning accentuates this.” The riverbed was due to be completed on April 1 before the coronavirus lockdown delayed it, but Brewer is excited to see the final stage of

editor@thewanakasun.co.nz

PHOTOs: Wānaka Pre-school

“Water is an important part of our local curriculum and having our very own riverbed for children to explore and engage in hands-on learning accentuates this.”

the playground upgrade come to fruition. Since plans were made up in 2017, the upgrade has been completed in segments with the help of community grants. “This riverbed project is a tribute to Mel who is our dearly missed (but never forgotten) teacher who passed away in April last year,” said Brewer. “Thanks to the Wānaka Rotary club and The Lion Foundation who partially funded the project.”

Can’t get to get to the shops? Order online

There are several stores in town with online shopping to help support those in need.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

With both local New Worlds offering email and phone ordering services and deliveries, it is easy for those who are unwell or unable to shop for groceries to stay at home. New World Three Parks was among the first, on March 17, to offer this lifeline “to anyone in our local Wanaka area who is in self-isolation either by instruction or due to being a potential serious high-risk.” This included those over 70 years old or people with compromised immunity or underlying respiratory conditions. However, there are several other stores in town with either pre-existing or newly formed online stores to help support those in need. Wholefood Haven and SoulFood Organics remain open, with reduced hours, but are also offering collection or delivery. You can call Wholefood Haven on 03 443 8801, and visit the SoulFood website at https://www.soulfoodorganic.co.nz The Mediterranean Market announced last week that the store would close to the public after “careful and heart wrenching thought,” but an online store has been built for customers to order supplies at https://medmarketwanaka.co.nz Similarly, The Butcher’s Block decided to

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NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival goes ahead The18th NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival is scheduled to run in a reduced capacity in Wānaka from June 26 to 28, followed by the national tour. The festival director, Mark Sedon, has had to create adapted options for the festival format and platform for 2020. Sedon said: "There are several options available to us, including using the smaller community hub for events with a reduced but still attractive festival programme, while simultaneously broadcasting shows online. "As the global events have unfolded over the past week, we have adapted and decided to keep it kiwi due to the uncertainty of our international guest speakers being able to travel.” Sedon confirmed that they would continue to monitor the spread of coronavirus and follow the government guidelines for events and gatherings. New for 2020 is the NZ Mountain Book of the Year award, founded and supported by DaveBamford and John Nankervis. This award winner is set to receive $1,000. Entries for the mountain book competition are invited to be submitted under two categories: mountain and adventure (accounts of specific experiences, fiction or nonfiction) and mountain and

adventure heritage (guidebooks, coffee table/ picture books, history books, analyses, reflections on culture, environments or ethics, advocacy). The New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival will continue with plans to host speakers. These include Scott Donaldson (Auckland)and Jo Haines (Wānaka). After 61 days Donaldson became the first solo kayaker to paddle from Australia to New Zealand successfully. The landing was his second attempt after having had to abandon a previous attempt in 2014 due to a broken rudder, 84 days in and 80km from the land. Donaldson was the tenth paddler to attempt the passage; he survived curious sharks, lightning storms and some mighty squalls. He will talk about this adventure at the film festival this year. Jo Haines is travelling the world, three months at a time, on a bike. Each autumn she sets off from Albert Town, to explore another unique corner of the globe. Haines reckons over the years, "Our tyres have gotten fatter, our loads are getting smaller, and the trails are getting quieter and rougher." The list of destinations and journeys is impressive. Haines has chosen to speak about her travels across Georgia, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The programme will once again include films from the annual filmmaker's competition. The festival has received over 90 submissions already and will continue to accept entries until April 20.

The current status of Wānaka walking tracks

PHOTOs: Supplied

close last week. Still, it confirmed that their online store would be open at https://www. butchersblockwanaka.co.nz “We are receiving fresh meat and ingredients from our suppliers regularly to keep as many product choices as available as possible. Our reduced team are preparing your orders as promptly as we can to get these delivered, or arranging a safe way for you to collect your order outside the shop,” read their Facebook page. Another source of produce deliveries is Southern Organics. Deliveries of organic vegetables from kiwi farms are now available to Queenstown, Wānaka and surrounding areas. You can order online at www.southernorganics.co.nz Finally, to beer - which is deemed an essential service (thank goodness). Local brewery Rhyme and Reason are continuing to deliver to the Wānaka area from their online shop: https:// www.rhymeandreason.beer/shop Ground Up’s beer shop is also still running from https://www.groundup.co.nz/shop/ They confirmed that “only one brewer will be working at a time, wearing gloves and a face mask, and all bottles are sprayed with isopropyl alcohol before leaving the brewery. We are working with our local courier driver so we can continue to deliver directly to you, but please be patient as delays may incur while we work through this process.”

Although the track technically remains open, Wānaka locals taped off the entrance last week.

Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

After much confusion and misinformation regarding the status of walking tracks in Wānaka during the level 4 lockdown, during which Queenstown Lakes Councillor Quentin Smith incorrectly announced that the Mt Iron track was closed to the public, and some locals took it upon themselves to tape off the Roy’s Peak track, operations director Aaron Fleming has clarified the Department for Conservation’s (DOC) current position. While popular local tracks such as Roy’s Peak and Mt Iron in fact remain open, DOC, police

THURSDAY 02.04.20 - WEDNESDAY 08.04.20

PHOTOs: Joanna Perry

and local councils are working to reduce traffic on the tracks to ensure people’s safety. “Some tracks, particularly those located in popular or heavily visited areas close to towns – such as Roy’s Peak and Mt Iron in Wānaka - are still seeing a lot of traffic from people keen to get out in nature. However, people should not be driving to access these locations,” he said. “If you need to drive to get to a track, it is not local. Additionally, the more people using tracks, the harder it is to maintain social distance. We’re working with police and other agencies such as local councils to close carparks at these popular tracks as required, to reduce traffic and ensure the safety of people during level 4 lockdown.”

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Locked down in Wānaka: What are we up too? Jo Haines Trying not to do a typical day here in Albert Town, don’t want to get into a groundhog day ... so our Friday started with a walk up Mt Iron with the dog. Home to porridge breakfast before donning the overalls and going batty (we have a house load of batts to install on the new build at the front of our section) an unskilled job that perversely I enjoy. We had a late lunch then I enjoyed a spin on the Red Bridge track in the gorgeous autumn colours. After dinner I twiddled on my ukulele half watching a movie on TV. Before lights out I almost finished the book “Island of the Lost (Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World)” by Joan Druett. I highly recommend this read and it puts coronavirus lockdown into perspective...a trip to the supermarket is got to be easier than chasing down and bludgeoning a sea lion for food..

Jo Haines and Al Cutler.

Lindsey Turner Note to self. Turn off all alarms; there's no schedule now. Train the dog to chill so I can have a lie-in. Persuade kids to get up for the dog, so I don't have to. Kids are teenagers, and they have long mastered the art of not getting up. Cats want feeding. The dog still whining. It's lockdown, dog; that means chill time. Write a list of jobs to do over the next four weeks. It's lunchtime. Still, no sign of teenagers - they know how to do this lockdown thing. Open fridge. Three teenagers shout, hey, are you making lunch? Pretended I couldn't hear them. Marika Steel I was due to start a new job this week. I will be able to start soon, although our way of working will be different to usual. In the meantime, I truly appreciate that we can still leave our homes for fresh air and a walk. I rarely see anyone on my morning walk but today was different. I saw a couple some distance away walking their dog and then another woman, walking towards me. I moved aside a couple of metres when I drew close to her and the woman

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Axel Chandler I like being home schooled, but I miss my friends. Me and my Dad have been looking up videos on how to do a cork spin and flat spins on my trampoline. I made skis out of cardboard and duct tape to put on when I practise my tricks.

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One makes an appearance. Claims we have no food and life sucks. Online shop arrived yesterday, so things haven't run out yet. Make suggestions for fun activities. Try to convince teenagers that weeding and housework are fun. There is too much homework to do. Like I don't know that's code for hanging out on social media. Go online to look at covid stats. Convinced we are all doomed Getting rather hot might have a fever. Not feeling Axel Chandler. well. Wondered if I should call the health line. Rang EAP and talked to counsellor. They are very rational. Asked me if I had hard evidence Eddie Spearing of global meltdown, I said have you not been My days are long. They start late and end very late. I’ve slipped into my natural owl-like existence. watching the news? Waking about 8.30am or 9am even, not getting smiled as I walked past. A little further along, I out of bed until 9.30am or 10am even, Read once again did the swerve aside move as I walked people's outrage on Facebook, various interesting past an older woman. articles and the latest virus numbers from around I have plenty of activities to occupy myself the world, looking for when Italy will go off the during this time, books to read, study to do, audio boil and just how far America will explode. books to listen to, art journaling and blogging to I only have one current eCommerce client, as name a few. I have a good wool stash and just so all the others have laid me off or delayed all work happen to have more than one knitting project on until July. the needles. I’ve started knitting a blanket and am I’ve been spending a while researching crypto wondering whether it would be out of place to currency and how it works, but haven't as yet call it the corona or COVID blanket? bought any, but it’s digital gold. Paper money is THURSDAY 02.04.20 - WEDNESDAY 08.04.20

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done for. The financial systems will collapse. Work or think on my swim wetsuit project and the factory in China. Bike ride time is about 5.00pm but not every day. Dinner follows along with perhaps ‘some’ beers. The Chase (on +1) and The News. Pleased the supermarkets are open as beer is essential. Video conversations with overseas people happen. More wetsuit thoughts and work. A blast on some YouTube zone out followed by rewatching Designated Survivor season one until about 1.30am. Sleep. Repeat.

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Madix Chandler The lockdown has been fun for me. I have enjoyed being home schooled by my parents. I don’t feel rushed to get to school. My favourite part so far has been when we baked scones. We had to find a recipe in Edmonds Cookbook. We measured everything carefully. Cutting the ham was my favourite part because I got to use a sharp knife. I sprinkled the ham, onions, and cheese on the dough. When they were in the oven me and my brother wrote the recipe. When they came out of the oven, I ate mine with butter. I posted it in my class.

Madex Chandler.

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Gavin Lang My mountain guiding trips to Bolivia in May, and Peru in June have been cancelled. I have been working on a book since last year, and this will possibly allow me some more space to work on it. I have been homeschooling our 5 year old since a week before the lockdown, and this has occupied most of my time as Jin works swiftly to switch her operation online. I’m learning the ins and outs of teachable moments, turning everything into a classroom, having fun, playing drums, dancing stupidly and mixing things up. I have taken to nightly radio broadcasting from 8pm, as a way to connect through music. After a day of briefings from the PM and research my evening internet radio broadcast is a great way to unwind after she goes to bed. I plan to broadcast every night. My connection to the mountain environment has been put on hold, so I’ve turned to music therapy.

Gavin Lang, Jin Ong and Violet.

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Marjorie Cook I’m flying solo in Albert Town. I am the designated shopper for my Mum (81) and Dad (90) who live not far away, so I get to see them from the other side of their window. Clearly I cannot swim, teach or be a lifeguard from home but I am on call to help the QLDC provide essential services. Normally, I would be working at the Wanaka Fine Art Gallery on Fridays and Saturdays. Gallery owners Lyz and Peter Dozzi have given me an interesting website assignment to work on from home. The Wanaka App editor Sue Wards has given me some freelance writing assignments, so I’ve followed the adventures of some of our more hard core members of the community as they battled red tape to get home from overseas. I’ve been avoiding swimming in the lake and river for safety reasons. I have a bike set up on a wind trainer in my office. I walk or bike to the Albert Town Four Square Supermarket and I spend time in my garden observing inquisitive fantails and bossy bell birds.

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Marjorie Cook.

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Gilbert van Reenen Day 3 of “rahui” – I much prefer this term to “lockdown.” I welcome Jackie from our excellent district nursing service who changes the dressing on my pesky leg ulcer. Check the latest world news online via the Guardian and New Yorker. Amused by Borowitz’s latest satire offering. Today it’s an experiment by Dr Fauci that proves intelligence isn’t contagious no matter how close and often a smart person stands close to a very dumb person. See what Leunig makes of the human condition today. A quick peek at Facebook and see today’s “memory” is my post of photos of the Andes taken on a flight from Santiago to Buenos Aires two years ago - a beautiful memory. Work on a book publishing project on Ken and Marg Tustin’s 30- year association with a remote village in Myanmar. Ten-kilometre bike ride to Waterfall creek. Uplifted hearing korimako and riroriro along the way. Read a chapter of Daniel Levitin’s “The PHOTOs: Supplied Changing Mind” – A Neuroscientists Guide to Gilbert van Reenen. Ageing Well” -fascinating and very readable. Enjoy a Facetime chat with our daughter, in the Rangitikei. Erica and relish the ever-expanding antics of our Sit in the evening with my wife Robyn seven-month-old granddaughter, Tūī, on a farm pondering how very fortunate we still are. Lyn Williamson Eleven days before lockdown, I flew to Napier to be with my 95 year old mum.. my brother, my nephew and his 4 year old daughter. I was due to fly home the day before lockdown but decided to stay put to be where I can be the most use .We have four generations in our bubble. The start to my day is a yoga session, followed by setting up breakfast for us all to share together. Chores are shared; our mother is in charge of laundry, and I am in charge of food and cooking. Supermarket online shopping is shared

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with my nephew, but for a visit to the nearby supermarket I am the nominated one. I have a walk everyday and find I am looking for teddies in the windows too. Reading - thank you Stew, my partner, who gave me a kindle for Christmas. Crosswords, sudoku skills are slowly developing, along with a few rows of knitting . Highlights of the day include whatsapp chats, videos , and photos from my family in Switzerland, Scotland and Hawea. Stew is in his own bubble with our dog Dougal in Lake Hawea. Dougal takes him walking daily.

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A glimmer of hope Easing the lockdown pressure Joanna Perry

newsdesk@thewanakasun.co.nz

Ollie Blyth

journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz

The spirit of the Upper Clutha community has shone through in recent weeks. We’ve collectively seen bounds of love and generosity between neighbours in the community, and between strangers online. Locals of Lake Hāwea have been pleasantly surprised last week with dozens of brightly painted pebbles, crocheted hearts, positive affirmations, and free fruit around their neighbourhood. On Facebook, Sarah-Jane Knowles said that, “I loved all the pebbles and hearts in my walk yesterday. It really cheered me up. It also inspired my mum who's been in isolation for almost 3 weeks in the UK to knit hearts so a huge thank you for giving her something positive too.” Another community wide initiative has been the ‘teddy bear hunt’, which involves putting a stuffed animal up in a street-facing window for passers-by to ‘hunt’. The challenge: how many can you spot in your neighbourhood? The initiative has gone global and gained widespread media attention, with sightings in several US states, as well as Wales. Jay Simon, admin of the Wānaka Caremongering page which has over 1,500 members, said that he has seen a range of different acts of love throughout the community including “people coming up with ideas and painting driftwood… learning musical instruments… [or] bringing Movember a little forward,” iso-vember perhaps? Perhaps the most heartwarming story from the week was two locals Caleb Nicol and Conor Hayes who have managed to get out of Peru after heavy travel restrictions were placed by

PHOTOs: Beth Hamilton (Facebook)

The spirit of the Upper Clutha has shone a glimmer of hope in trying times. Hāwea locals have enjoyed plentiful positive signs and messages on lakefront walks.

the Peruvian Government. After flights being cancelled, and an amazing push from a number of individuals, they’ve found their way out of South America. In a Facebook post, Nicol explained, “In an absolutely massive turn of events, Conor and myself are on a plane and heading to London. As I write this we are sitting at the Peruvian military base waiting to board. A group of about ten Brits left our hostel in the early hours of the morning to take their Government-assisted repatriation flight to the UK. I was woken by my roommate telling me to grab my bags and get to the airport ASAP as they’d messaged him that there were 20 spare seats on the flight and they would let us on the plane. First come first served. We arrived at the meeting point with 30 minutes to spare and seats still available.” Caleb and Conor are now safely in London and are figuring out a way to make it home at last.

We have made some changes to keep you and our staff safe and will continue to do so as Covid-19 evolves. Please be patient as we do our best to respond to the challenges of providing services during the pandemic. We have been advised there is no need to panic and stockpile medicines, just remember to renew your prescriptions before you run out of your medicines. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any concerns.

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The first week of lockdown is almost over and, for some, it will have been a week of pressure. Pressure to entertain the children, to not scream at the flatmate who keeps leaving dirty dishes in the sink, to keep up-to-date with the latest coronavirus facts and statistics, or to avoid being singled out online for doing the wrong thing. Personally - and this is entirely self-inflicted I’ve felt pressured to accomplish the list of goals I set myself last week in order to ensure this quarantine period would be “productive”. No one can learn Spanish, get better at running and read five books in four weeks, let alone one. I might need to take a step back, and so might you. Firstly, it might be helpful to step away from the pressure to stay informed - or misinformed. Local volunteer David Baker suggests that the coronavirus lockdown gives us the opportunity to “reflect on how we might at the same time repress another malignant virus that is harming our society.” While often harmless, misinformation “helps create an environment where the truth is lost in a fog of uncertainty.” As one recent example, misinformation in the Wānaka online community led to uncertainty about walking tracks around town over the weekend. Queenstown Lakes District Councillor (QLDC) Quentin Smith posted on Facebook that “the police (in conjunction with DOC) have closed Mt Iron Track,” and others were to follow. There was confusion, but there was also anger directed at those still using local tracks. Smith later apologised for the “misstep,” after police called him to confirm that “the carparks to the track heads are closed but not the tracks themselves.” If you’re feeling pressured and overwhelmed by what is and isn’t true, strip back your sources for information. “Stick to reputable organisations which depend on the dissemination of accurate information,” advises Baker. “Government and international organisations (the Ministry of Health, the NHS and the World Health Organisation) really do have our best interests at heart. Find the media that you trust, and not just those which confirm your prejudices.” He recommends the BBC, CNN, and the New York Times. “Just because a social media post has some information in it that you know to be accurate,

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“I stayed hydrated, spent time outside with my flatmates, and binge-watched Tiger King on Netflix and that is fine.”

(‘wash your hands’), don’t assume the rest is accurate (‘gargle with salt water’). When in doubt, scroll on by and keep well away from that share button.” “Focus on what you can do to look after yourself and your bubble; and worry less about what others are doing.” The same advice goes for those feeling pressured to be productive during this time. There are some incredible resources online, but there is also so much pressure to come out of this lockdown fitter, or with more knowledge, that we can almost forget it’s also enough to come out just okay. UK actress and champion of mental health Jameela Jamil recently said, “It’s okay if you’re not creating right now. It’s okay if you’re frozen/ depressed/anxious/lost. I keep being asked how I’m staying creative. I’m not. I’m just looking for places to donate, reading the news, eating crisps or watching old box sets. It’s okay to just survive for a bit.” So, whilst it’s important to keep yourself healthy, try to remain active and get some fresh air, the overriding message is do what works for you (within the parameters of government advice, of course). I didn’t tick everything off my list this week, but I stayed hydrated, spent time outside with my flatmates, and binge-watched Tiger King on Netflix - and that is fine.

Keeping the cool with the kids Ollie Blyth

journalist@thewanakasun.co.nz

School holidays are always a tumultuous time for families with school aged children. No longer are the days full of school time, after-school activities, assignments, and socialisation. Now, for obvious reasons, this is not the reality we know these days, and there are even fewer options for holiday activities this time ‘round. With the first test week of online school done and dusted, school students are finding even more spare time on their hands. This allows a great deal of room for unwanted rumination, particularly in the minds of younger children. Dr Janine Domingues, a child psychologist from the Child Mind Institute, said to parents that, “You take on the news and you’re the person who filters the news to your kid,” and it is important to have the right kinds of conversations particularly with impressionable children. “When you’re feeling most anxious or panicked, it isn’t the time to talk to your kids about what’s happening with the coronavirus,” warned Domingues. Fortunately, many - if not most - families have found some creative solutions to this extended

THURSDAY 02.04.20 - WEDNESDAY 08.04.20

PHOTOs: Pixabay

Are your kids driving you nuts during these solitary school holidays?

holiday boredom: a number of footpaths are being covered in colourful chalk hopscotches and positive messages for passers-by. For those with access to it, video chats or phone calls with whānau can be of great value. One local parent said that, “I feel like we’ve never been more social with our distant friends and family before, it’s made us realise that they’re just a click of a button away.” Many are realising that the possibilities for online ‘playdates’ are quite endless, even if the prospect of face-to-face social interaction with those outside of our bubble is somewhat mouthwatering.

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Crimeline Mclean B Bruce Senior Constable, NZPD Hello Wanaka. This week we have been educating people on what is allowed and what is not by the government in relation to the coronavirus lockdown. Southern District is the highest district by number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand. The last I looked there were 97 confirmed cases in Auckland and 98 cases in the Southern District. This is going to spike in a very short time. If you think it is not much of a big deal, think again. This is a highly contagious virus that is easily spread in our communities, and we need to work harder to contain this. We need your support to do this and eradicate coronavirus and save lives. Enforcement measures may be used to ensure everyone acts together. As long as you are not unwell, you can leave your house to: • Access essential services, like groceries, banking or pharmacy. • Go to work, only if you work for an essential service. • Go for a walk, or exercise and enjoy nature in your local neighbourhood. Personal walks and other active travel like cycling or scootering, are fine, provided you keep a two-metre distance from anybody outside of your household. You can not travel in a vehicle

to exercise. (This was updated as at 30.03.2020) Using private vehicles for transport is allowed. You can only travel if; • You’re accessing essential services or; • If you’re an essential worker travelling as part of your essential work. You should only travel in your car with people from your household. Stick to simple outdoor exercise and avoid areas where you can get injured or lost. It’s important the emergency services remain available to support the response to coronavirus. As such the following activities are prohibited; • Hunting, hiking, fishing and boating etc. • Surfing, kayaking and paddle boarding etc. • Sporting activities etc. Well done New World and 4 Square supermarkets who are doing an excellent job of restricting the people coming in and making sure they are aware of their requirements. Without them, we would struggle. This week we have dealt with burglaries, family harm incidents, harassment jobs, driving complaints, motor vehicle crashes and drink driving jobs on top of the community work we are doing re coronavirus. Remember, any unnecessary travel and close interactions may spread coronavirus. If you see breaches of this behaviour, please report it by phone on 105. Let’s work together to knock it on the head.

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