Diary of Wanaka in the year of our Covid #3

Wanaka means king in Linear B Greek

Yeah don’t ask me how it came to get a Linear B handle. It changed in 1940. Although of course it’s supposed to be "Wānaka" is the South Island dialect pronunciation of wānanga, which means sacred knowledge or a place of learning. The New Zealand Gazetteer cites the meaning as "the lore of the tohunga or priest". But New Zealanders are, in the main, laconic on this topic.

It takes about 3.5 hours to drive to Wanaka from Dunedin. It’s about 275 kms away in a North West direction and is both sunnier & warmer than Dunedin in the summer. New Zealand is currently under a ‘Traffic Light System’ so those of us not carrying ‘passes’ are not allowed to go to restaurants, swimming pools, libraries etc.

Lake Wanaka in front of the town of Wanaka

—————————————————————————

15th Jan Saturday. Left Dunedin with Rikki (my wife) a little late. Had something to eat (we sat down Jacinda, suck on it) in Alexandra. Arrived about 9pm at Wanaka accommodation.

—————————————————————————

16th Jan Sunday

Walked down to beachfront market by myself which I remember as being pretty awful. It still is. So I kept walking and ended up at 4 Square. Walked in past a guy walking out of about my age and build who looked at me as if I was doing something wrong and was then asked by counterwoman if I had a mask and I said ‘no’ and kept walking. She then said “I’ll just go and get one for you” (the standard line of mask enforcers). I said no I don’t want one thanks which panicked her somewhat. The guy who had walked out now came back inside the 4 Square and told me that it was law to wear a mask to which I replied “no it’s not” which elicited some sort of response from him about “rules”. At this stage my ‘not going to shop at fascists’ had kicked in and I said I was going to leave because ‘I didn’t want to shop with fascists’. To which the counterwoman (Argentinian I’d say) said something to the effect of ‘that’s great’ and as I walked out of the shop being tailed by mask nazi getting in my ear I’d had enough and told him to ‘fuck off’ (outside of shop). I half expected him to test out his fighting skills. As counterwoman hadn’t stopped dissing me either I leaned back in and reminded her that she was a fascist. At no time did I swear in shop and no-one else was around outside the shop when I told mask-nazi to fuck off.

Mask nazi then tailed me down the street in his 4wd. His numberplate started with fyk which I thought quite apt. He stopped just in front of me acting surreptitiously nonchalant in his James Bond sort of way and as I walked past I just muttered ‘fucking idiot’. This is the last that I saw of him. Once again nobody else in hearing distance. What a plonker.

I then went and bought some crepes for breakfast. At crepe place, a caravan on a back street two 20sh lovers ordered with masks on. It’s sunny and about 23ºC.

This is the first time that I’ve been challenged by a redneck vigilante. In fact it’s the first time I’ve been challenged for not wearing a mask for a while. It would seem the idiocy is possibly worse here in Wanaka than elsewhere. Great for a holiday town if so.

I suspect while I was ordering my crepes that mask Nazi was complaining to the police. Meantime I was interacting with more friendly people (soz Police) the caravan crepe guys being seriously normal and friendly for such an environment.

————————————

About 14:00 we went to the food caravans in upper Wanaka CBD. It’s an outside eatery not an inside one. But of course they had ‘vaccine pass’ restrictions. Tried anyway to get Mexican but the first demand that the youngish guy directed at me (mid to late 20s) was ‘can you show me your vaccine pass’. To which I said ‘what to eat here’ to which he replied in the affirmative. So I pulled out my nazi health pass (which I’d printed off before we left) and he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. He said that it wasn’t applicable and I said “but it was in 1937 why is it not now” to which he said “I don’t know why you have one of these” to which I replied ‘but we still have a nazi government right?’.

The poor boy might like to have a think about which side he’s on.

Had burgers instead, the guy there was much more pleasant.

————————————

Afternoon at pool at accommodation. No issues.

————————————

Evening went to find the health food caravan. It wasn’t open but the grocers next door was. And they were on our side. Bought some groceries. Heard about how bad the town was including the food caravans (unprovoked). Was also told to keep away from the Mexican Restaurant in town. What’s up with you south of border types?

—————————————————————————

17th January Monday

Went for evening walk, we’ve basically figured out where we’re not going to get hassled in Wanaka now and stick to those places. There’s only 3 of them, might be more but yet to find them. Spoke to woman in clothing shop and they’re basically doing 10% or so of the turnover they would have done 3 years ago. Some days are zero.

—————————————————————————

18th January Tuesday

I had a tennis lesson in morning at some local tennis courts (not the club). Figured out what was wrong with my backhand (only 45 years too late but never mind). Now will go back and give the Balmac guys a bit of a thrashing next time (once this nonsense has been ended) hopefully, my backhand being my main weakness in my game.

————————————

Rode out on right hand side of lake with Rikki later after picking up bikes, not too far. Pleasant enough. I took e-bike out later for a trip to grocers.

Lake Wanaka near Clutha river outlet

—————————————————————————

17th January Wednesday

We rode down the left hand side of lake. It got a little rough for Rikki despite being on an electric trail bike. It was a little rocky and she got pretty upset. A few times it sounded like she’d gone off the side of the track (cliffs to lake in a few parts) and I had to backtrack to help out. Varied between her going ahead and me going ahead. Eventually managed to get back after being asked to go and get car a few times (and drive to where?). I probably did about 30% more of the route than Rikki due to going back to help out on the hard sections. She laughed about it later, probably a few hours after returning to apartment. Amused that I’d probably done 30% more of the track than her due to backtracking and riding bike through the hardplaces for her.

Here she is smiling for the camera (she asked me to take the photo, but a few seconds earlier I’m sure that she was cursing)

Rikki on bike trail/walking track Lake Wanaka

————————————

Heard later that a guy had been airlifted to Dunedin hospital from biking on the same track probably an hour or so before our trip on it.

—————————————————————————

17th January Thursday

Had lunch at health spot in town and then took bikes back. On turning to road where cycle place was Rikki had some issues getting over into right hand lane to turn right and a red car gave her no space but after she whizzed past dangerously Rikki rode over to take the right hand side to turn and was immediately tooted at by 4wd behind her who then gave her flak along the lines of ‘how about indicating a little better’ to which he got given far more flak than that. I witnessed the whole thing from other side of intersection and as 4wd was going past me I yelled to driver and stuck my finger up for him. He motioned that he was going to pull over and start a fight but seemed to chicken out. Never mind….

Took bikes back and then drove up to blue pools up past Makaroa.

Bridge to Blue Pools north of Makaroa

Moi on the way to the Blue Pools

Noted that scenically Hawea is nicer to look at than Wanaka. That is not dissing Wanaka.

Lake Hawea

Except for one morning when it rained weather has been perfect high 20s or low 30s.

I could swear that our non-mask wearing behaviour was being replicated by others by now. Seemed to be fewer wearing masks now than on Sunday or Monday.

Two people playing at the Tennis Club in Wanaka. Which mandates vaccines. Only two people seen playing there all week. Popular move guys?

—————————————————————————

17th January Friday

Packed up in morning and after having a coffee at the healthy spot (where we can sit down) drove to Queenstown over the Crown Range. Didn’t try and stop at Cardrona, not worth the effort. Parked in Queenstown CBD and as I was walking down street I told one woman as she was walking down street towards me with a mask that she’d get hypoxia. She gave me quite the laugh by telling me to ‘fuck off’. Most people not wearing masks in Queenstown, would be less than 5%. There are a lot of signs up for staff in cafes and restaurants where to work the vaccine is mandated.

Had a sit down meal without being asked for Nazi pass at a place in town. Not going to say where because of snitches and Jacinda the Brute.

Went the long way back via Omarama and Oamaru. Omarama town is suffering from the lack of tourists. Had a coffee and something to eat in Omarama, once again we sat down Jacinda the Brute so stick that.

Closed up shop at Omarama

Had restaurant meal in Oamaru. Sat down. Quite nice!

Speaking to someone back in Dunedin yesterday, they said friends had been up in Queenstown the week before and that none of the cafes were busy. I guess they’ve decided that reality means that Jacinda’s passes are in the bin. I guess that’s part of the reason the moron has moved us to Code Red today. The fight is on.