5th May
Woke up at about 6am and went for a walk to Mooloolaba and back. Went back down later and had breakfast. Nobody is wearing masks, there's empty shops galore and the cafes are far from full. Some are closed up.
Walked around and got some money out, eventually, and went back to friends where we had a discussion about what else. G seems resigned to a more dystopian future. He's got a very similar attitude to me about history though and re Socrates and Plato he asked me which one wrote whom and although it's traditionally considered that Plato wrote Socrates I agreed with him that it could have been the other way around. Not a lot here that we disagree on except the big things, he likes Musk, self driving electric cars and I like bikes and public transport and am withholding opinion on Musk for now. G thinks knowledge is power and that think tanks from the 50s to now were full of very smart people who have nudged us to where we are now. I disagree on whether they're smart or not and I think that it's not necessarily knowledge that gets you to be rich and have influence or whether this is a good way to be anyway. And I disapprove of wealth being an arbiter of where we are going as well whereas G thinks that's fine. He thinks the momentum is in favour of the dystopia.
In the evening K cooked a nice dinner. Me and G dropped their son off later at a school play that he was watching rather than appearing in.
You are strongly encouraged to get a RAT test within 24 hours of landing but that's not mandatory now is it? So that's a no from me
6th May
Took an early morning walk to Mooloolabah. Lots of exercisers about. And dogs.
Had breakfast with friends at surf club. I paid as they'd paid for dinner first night and of course it's great having the pad. G got around to suggesting that what is happening is basically a 'controlled demolition' (though these were my words but based on what he's said and he agreed). He also said more than once that we were heading towards a 1984 society and there wasn't anything we could do about it. I disagree. They were more or less coerced to vaccines themselves due to schools. Their oldest son (he’s in Brisbane) is opting out on booster. Their youngest son has pericarditis symptoms as do some of his class mates.
Went to chemist after breakfast (Mooloolabah again) to get vitamins.
On way to airport G mentioned that cameras on top of the light poles and that you could score a 4k fine from them for being on your phone in the car to which I said that would wreck a lot of people. And as they were exactly the same as the ones in Dunedin I said I'd have to pass this info along to Rikki as she's not believed me before when I said that they were cameras.
At airport resisted the mask edicts which was easy enough (just state that you're exempt). A lot of others were too, only about 10% compliance. But on plane (Jetstar to Melbourne) resistance a little rarer but once again a simple statement that you're exempt was enough. Signs around were Orwellian but most Orwellian of all was RAT test dispensing machine advertised as 'health pod'. Like hell that's healthy.
On other topic Traffic flows are up a bit in Bourke St Mall. 3200 on Saturday, 2800 on Sunday, 2300 during week. Not back to normal but closer especially on weekends.
I'm still a little stressed. This sort of confrontational travel does wear on you a little.
Everywhere is warmer than normal even Melbourne.
7th May.
Mostly work, physical work too, had a space to get ready.
8th May.
worked at the space until 1pm or so then met up with friend and Matt, Mal, Diedre at Standard in Fitzroy after booking room at Vic and having a shower and episode with a dodgy African taxi driver. It almost seemed that he’d pinched the taxi, no photograph and not much knowledge of the area. I basically escaped when he went down a one way street the wrong way. Then went with everyone else later to a Spanish place (passable) in Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Caught same tram as Mal & Diedre back to city but got off several stops before them. Deidre seems surprised at my position on Covid.
9th May
Met with employees at 9:30 at Mr Tulk just to go over things. Not sure that these sort of meetings are worth the effort in hindsight. Then we all worked at tidying up the new ‘space’.
Had to retrieve our GPO box in my name as somehow (somehow) it had transferred over to one of our employees. That was a little kafkaesque.
Put return ticket into credit as it was obvious that I was not going to get out that quickly. Once work is closer to being done I’ll re-book. Complicating factor is price of tickets are up to $1400 one way.
10th May
Did laundry first thing. Worked rest of day.
Had a bad reaction to some Kombucha during day. Friend mentioned that it was related to vinegar which might explain it as I’m definitely allergic to vinegar.
11th May
Slept most of the day, completely stuffed as have had a few very late nights at work. Met friend for an hour at Flinders lane and a business colleague later. Rikki rang at 7pm and I thought that it was 7am.
12th May
All the block arcade cafes are closed by 4pm at latest. The city is not recovering from Dan Andrews that well.
13th May
Bruised my foot badly today.
Sent a shirty text or two to a business contact today, I thought he was taking the piss with his suggestions a little.
Moved to Box Hill best western which is cheap as CBD hotels were pricey on the weekend. Went out to dinner with friends at the RSL there Friday night. P is over his health problems hopefully, said he’d spent a lot of time at the hospital in Box Hill (more or less opposite the RSL) over the last few years.
Back at room and there's a fucking program callled Virus on TV, they're talking about brain fog.
Lots of adds 'to get your booster' on Australian TV as well.
14th May
Had lunch at the red box or whatever cafe just across the road in Box Hill which is perfectly fine. Then took the train into the city where I saw that there was another protest, this time a little larger than 3-400 people as it was last Saturday. Rukshan and Avi Yemeni were there cataloguing it for their audiences. But none of the major newsmedia were there. I'd estimate the crowd at a couple of kms long at one stage and based on the link below about estimating crowds I'd say the crowd was somewhere between 8 & 20k strong.
I’ve written a blog post about this protest, will put it up in the next few days.
I had coffee and florentine at Brunettis in Lygon St then went back to the city to pick up bag & computers and back out to Box Hill accommodation.
15th May
Left motel early. An elderly matron in Box Hill careered out of my way walking down footpath due to me being unmasked so I threw a few deliberate coughs her way which elicited a 'cover your mouth' matronly exasperated fearful response. I just said "oh fuck off" and "there's no such thing as a virus". Took train to Flinders St, a guy opposite me on the train did the old couple of coughs because I didn't have a mask on which elicited my response of 'it's ok I don't believe in it" which got a laugh from his 22yo daughter, she said to him that he’d have to try to do it more genuinely next time. They were off to watch the Tigers at the footy.
Caught bus out to airport, there was an absolute nut sitting a few seats away from me who started going on about my lack of mask. Considering that he was pretty unhealthy looking who's he to talk. Anyway a woman with a pram needed to get on and this prick basically thumps himself sideways into me to allow her to sit down. Anyone would think that he was a 7yo at school instead of a mid 50s idiot. I gave him back some flak, went and grabbed my backpack from case and as I went upstairs I said to him not to forget his 35 boosters.
And then real trouble.
A condition of flying to NZ is a negative "covid" test. I had forgotten about this condition and mine came back positive. It's obscene as is the testing station at the airport, extremely obscene taking up 200m2 of prime retail and cafe space. All of this needs to be stopped. I got a positive RAT figured 2 tests could give 2 different results so tried the PCR, same story, positive. Went to nearby chemist thinking that the airport might be gaslighting me as I’d not been backward about my opinions of this testing thingy and picked up 6 tests for $45. First one I did was a slight second line but I figured it showed a negative result. The chemist didn't think so though but she was somewhat sympathetic. I will now have to isolate for 7 days. Great. I was told Victorian Department of Health would be in contact. Sure, but not for about 30 hours and it was just a text.
Third and last part of this travel series tomorrow. Includes more NZ government nonsense. I am 300% more opposed to this government than I was 3 weeks ago. They must go. They are the most obscene Government in Australasia right now.
Part 3 is here.
My failsafe way to measure a protest crowd is how long it takes to go past.
It's like droving animals. (Joke)
the US Government rubber stamped Musks’ ventures with extravagant tax breaks and subsidies... he was ‘selected’... he’s a member of the ‘club’...
Tesla’s are the poster cars for strip nickel and cobalt mining & child labor abuse... Musk’s dirty not-so-secrets:
https://khmezek.substack.com/p/nickel-the-dirty-business-of-clean