Day 76, Level 1: Riverhead, wonderful women, and the Xmas Grinch!

Sam's Covid test is negative. Yay. Two of the [female] flatmates are positive - they were self-isolating in their rooms while the rest of the flatmates got tested - I think everyone else is negative. Not quite sure how that works but I guess those girls are basically stuck in their rooms until they recover and test negative. If they were to mix and mingle in the flat, the others are highly likely to get it too. How dire. I feel gutted for Sam and his mates, it's awful. So many hopes and plans dashed, and he hasn't been able to fully enjoy one of the most brilliant cities on the planet.

Today was the Christmas function of the company I do minute-taking for (for a range of clients). I do it part-time, ad hoc, fill-in. The flexibility is great, suits me well, I do it from home via Zoom link or audio recording. I take on jobs that I have time to do in between all the other stuff. It's been a blessing through Covid, with having to put my travel biz on hold for the time being, and the work has kept me busy, productive, occupied and getting some income. 

I hadn't met any of the rest of the team before (20 of us) - only the woman who owns the business (Susan). Well, what an exceptional bunch of women I spent time with today. Diverse, professional, savvy, engaging, sharp, welcoming, genuine, committed, interested and interesting - all with a wide breadth of skills and knowledge ... each and every one of them a 10/10.  The company services companies in many ways, minute-taking just one.

It was a full day - we took a ferry from the city up the far reaches of the harbour to Riverhead where we alighted and had a delicious three-course lunch in the old Riverhead Tavern, an iconic building that is remote and isolated, but close to town. It's actually about a 25 minute drive from the city - but the ferry ride took 1.5 hours! Some got on in the city, others got on at Birkenhead on the North Shore (including me, as I'd driven down from Omaha so this made sense). 

View of Auckland City from Birkenhead, North Shore

 

After days of perfect blue-sky weather, rain was forecast for the day. It was a little gloomy and very cloudy - but it didn't dampen anything and the rain held off. It was hot and pretty sticky - it would have been doubly so if the sun had been out so it was a bit of a blessing to have the cloud cover. 

The boat is a bit of an old "tug" and it meanders its way right up the harbour, past Herald Island and into Riverhead. Very leisurely and a good chance for good chat.

The Tavern is right by the jetty so we walked up the steps to this historic building. 

We sat out on the deck to start with, had a drink, did Secret Santa, and then went to a private room for lunch. 

View from the deck - a jetboat coming up the harbour

Time to return back to the city after a really lovely day. I'd never been to the Riverhead Tavern before so it was a new experience. And great to meet so many fabulous women with so many interesting backgrounds. It wasn't just a work function - it had soul and heart and a genuine sense of connection and camaraderie, even though a large chunk of us had never met before.

We mostly work from home, some work from the office, others work from Wellington (servicing various parliamentary ministries etc). Minute-taking may seem benign and "easy", even "lowly", but talking to the other women today we all acknowledged that it takes a set of many skills and much resilience. Listening is everything, switching off is not an option. As I'm sure I've said before, a lifetime of minute-taking means you not only listen, you actually hear, what is being said. Beyond what those who said it even know!

Susan (biz owner) is a champ in how she negotiated the business and the staff who work full-time through Covid and lockdown. A very lovely woman. She has a beachhouse at a bay not far from Omaha, I'll try to go visit.

And if 2021 looks equally dire for travel in/out of NZ, and thus my travel companion business, then I'm sure there'll be more work I can take on if I want it, to tide me over. I've decided it's best to wait until international travel is a proper thing again, and then be ready to step into action once the borders open. Alas, it's looking worse rather than better right now though, which is a worry. Patience ...

NZ is lovely, but getting around isn't so daunting for Kiwis, not like flying to Morocco, and people have family to help them see the country here - because they're not away overseas leaving mum or aunt alone at home. There's much more "taking under the wing" going on, I'm observing. Some people are simply not in the head space for any travel at all so they're going nowhere. And for me, this is potentially the only year in my life that I will not be getting on a plane at all!!

The main purpose of my travel business is to assist people who need support getting themselves around the world. Not possible right now. But, with patience I hope my idea, that I've worked long and hard on, and still believe in, will come into its own ... the pieces are in place, I just need the world to fall into a better place!

 

Boarding the ferry after a lovely lunch

A wake-boarder having fun - on the wake of his own boat - and also the ferry!

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Christmas Grinch! ...

Christmas is but three days away. I'm a bit of a grinch anyway, but I don't think I've ever felt less "Christmassy". I always loved the decorations and yuletide vibe in UK/Europe, cosy winter nights sitting around enjoying all the decorations and jollyness. But here in NZ when we're sweltering and have our clothes sticking to us with humidity, fake snow and scenes of winter seem just wrong. Especially in Covid days when visiting friends or favourite places in Europe is out of the question.

I'm wondering how the Xmas tree sellers are going - probably quite well as everyone is stuck in NZ, might as well get a real tree. No thanks.