Day 10, Level 2.5: Doughnuts and Jumps Racing

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A short post today.

Have been progressed some ideas around my Beyond travel offering - it's very hard to actually plan anything right now because of all the restrictions. But the ideas continue to form!

It was very quiet in Auckland. I went to the local bakery - they do the best doughnuts and I realised I hadn't had a doughnut from there since before lockdown. That's more than 5 months without one of these delicious doughnuts! They're cooked and creamed just right. I nabbed the last one!

The owner is an unusual chap - we always talk rugby, as for many years I've called in before or after going to watch Sam play rugby and he'd always be interested in who they were playing, how they got on etc. There was more rugby talk today - more about top rugby players who have had their seasons in Japan and whatnot scrapped.

Now of course there is no rugby to watch - Sam is in London, and lockdown has ruined the entire rugby season anyway. So even if he was here, he wouldn't be playing a normal season anyway. 

Six new Covid cases today - and some trickiness in tracing people linked to a funeral that has spread it around. We may be in L2.5 for a while yet until they can sort it. On the other hand, migrant workers are being allowed to return and planes full of people arrive every day from Covid-ravaged countries. Quite a few are testing positive, although they have to go straight into managed isolation, so are contained. 

But in the community - it's still out there, and spreading by all accounts. Mainly linked now to an evangelical church in Auckland that has apparently been disregarding the rules and gathering en masse every day. Idiots. 

The reality is that this is just going to go on and on ... up and down ... in and out. Where does it end? Do we stay locked away from the world for months, even years? It's hopeless. Everyone is over it, people are bored and I'm getting very itchy feet ...!

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:

Horse-racing - Jumps season ...

The jumping season is in full flight. Sadly, no one can get on course to watch. It's always such a spectacle. I know some people think it's cruel etc - but horses like to jump. Whether it's in a hunt, showjumping, cross country ... they do enjoy it. And if they don't, then they won't. And that's the end of that. 

Here's a fabulous photo of a horse called Gallante cruising over a jump. After starting his racing career in France and Australia (he won the 2016 Sydney Cup and ran in the 2017 Melbourne Cup), he returned to NZ and was put over the jumps. He won the race this photo is from by 12 lengths! He's also had a couple of good jumping wins. And some poor runs too. That's racing!


Check out this link to brilliant helmet-cam footage of French jockey James Reveley in action in a cross-country race - had me on the edge of my seat the whole way round. How do they even know where they're going!?

https://www.facebook.com/Francesire/videos/297139964893395

And here's a link to one of the most amazing jumps riding feats of all time - here in NZ. Jockey Aaron Kuru falls off at the first fence, somehow manages to stay with the horse and remount - and goes on to win the race!

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jockey-talks-his-incredible-comeback-win-after-falling-horse-awapuni-racing-centre



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