Thursday.

The long awaited Day 12 Covid tests!

Highlights

• Everyone needs feedback. Good to know I’m going to be able to share my observations with both the hotel (an invitation to provide feedback to the hotel manager by email), and the MIQ system (an online survey), which I will ‘park’ for now and fill in once I’m actually out, and have experienced, well, the full experience!

• Chats with Alfie, Rob and Jenna. He is getting SO CUTE, and the photos of his first foray into solid food are just priceless! He is definitely his father’s son – Piggy Jnr in the making!

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• Pip to the rescue! Shock, horror – I miscalculated our coffee needs and had to share the final scoops with Peter for a half-cup each. Thanks Pip for the delivery from Kokako, even though you know nothing at all about coffee – great choice!

• News that we are trying to ramp up our vaccination programme, with everyone aged 16+ eligible to be vaccinated from 1 September. Let’s get on with it people!

Lowlights

• Aaargh! That testing swab up your nose just never gets easier. Spare a thought for our frontline workers, including MIQ staff, who are being testing regularly – it really is like someone is digging in your brain!

• Missing out on the bookings for the rooftop terrace tomorrow (forgot to call them early enough!) – meaning we have one more day on The Ramp. Meaning the super-spreader-sneakers will get one more outing!

Observations on #FortressNZ as we prepare to head out into the real ring-fenced world

A lot of time today was spent watching the forum discussing Reconnecting New Zealand to the World. I’m still undecided about whether that is a highlight or lowlight – but certainly slightly reassuring to know that someone is even thinking about the need to re-connect. Now to get them to acknowledge that reconnecting families is at least as important as business re-connections, maybe even more so.

Of course, it’s all contingent on the vain hope that “everyone” will get vaccinated.

And as they say “hope is not a strategy!”