Okay, so we're in Day 13 of lockdown today and I've learnt a few things over this past week of isolation.
Firstly, I am beginning to regret having a view of the surf from my house. It's taunting me and when I can't see it I can still hear it and that's even more frustrating – especially when it's crack ... woooooossssshh, crack ... wooooooshhh like a metronome that's determined to flirt with my wave-starved imagination. I'm one of those surfers who decided not to surf during lockdown, no matter how good it gets out there.
Secondly, I suffer badly from a syndrome known as fear of missing out, so when I hear of people scoring different breaks during the lockdown a little bit of me dies inside. Unless it's the dolphins who seemed pretty stoked to have a human-free line-up at St Clair a few days ago.
Thirdly, David Clark, Minister of Health. What a dick.
Fourthly, is that even a word?
Fifthly, my family is actually pretty awesome. I like them much more than I thought I would by Day 13.
Sixthly, Zoom meetings are great, but loud mouths seem to be front and centre more than they should be.
Seventhly, we've been taking the kids and riding our bikes up at St Clair Golf Course and man do they have some space up there. I'm not much of a golfer, but you could certainly make a great set of flowing mountain bike trails there.
Eighthly, how's the sudden emergence of the narcs and non-narcs? Two new tribes and I never knew either existed before lockdown.
Ninethly, what's the future going to bring? My pick is domestic tourism is going to go nuts. We're already getting excited about a surf tour of Northland, then Coromandel, Mahia and Taranaki.
Tenthly, keep in mind why we're doing all of this. We're saving lives by missing waves, staying at home and that's what the situation calls for. This is new territory for all of us. Good luck.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We just posted a beautiful new film by our mate Jonathan Smit on NZ Surf Journal. You can watch the Paulownia Whisperer right here. Enjoy.
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