September 7th 2021: Level 3

How good do the kids have it in Level 3? I don't want to offend anyone in Auckland, but this is what their days look like in Dunedin under Level 3:

6:30am: Alarm goes off, breakfast.

7am: Alarm goes off, should be in your wetsuit (which has been drying in front of the fire all night) and ready to go.

7:10am: Sun rising directly over Otago Peninsula.

7:11am: Paddle out, surf crazy good peak through best part of tide.

10am: Paddle in. Spend entire high tide entertaining teachers on Zoom. Learn some stuff. Pretend to write a few notes. Have lunch. Watch the 1pm announcements. Check the cam. Look out the window.

4pm: Having convinced mum and dad that they've worked hard and ticked all the boxes that needed ticking through the middle of the day, head out for an afternoon surf.

6:30pm: Paddle in. Almost dark. Hungry as a horse.

7pm: Eat like a litter of wolverines.

8:30pm: Sound asleep. Exhausted. Well, not always, but I wish.

The favourable tides and endlessly good conditions help the picture, but that has meant some incredible crowds. Post lockdown seems to draw surfers out from every nook and cranny. My kids: eleven surfs in six days. Not bad.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS There has been a rāhui placed on the beaches from Cape Saunders to Green Island following the passing of one of St Clair's kaumātua in the surf last night. The rāhui lasts 48 hours finishing at 12 noon on Thursday, September 9. The whole community is in pain. Please respect the rāhui and share this message with others.