As I sat on the couch awaiting the Prime Minister’s 4pm press conference last Monday I was a little tense to say the least. Jacinda was due to announce whether the nation would shift from Alert Level 3 back to Level 2; a change that would significantly move life back towards pre-Corona normality. When she was on the brink of this historic declaration I actually had my hands up to my face in that my-team’s-kicking-for-goal-after-the-siren gesture. ‘Today, I am announcing that cabinet agrees that we are ready to move into Level 2’ said the PM, which is tantamount to saying ‘Jim, I’m giving you a Prime Ministerial pardon, you’re free to leave Auckland.’ So as of 11.59pm tonight my 44 day period of house arrest is over.

I didn’t leap off the couch and jump around the flat as if someone had just announced ‘The winner is…….Syd-a-ney!’ However I did let out a huge sigh of relief. It certainly will be good to be back on the move again. I expect the borders will remain closed for a couple more months at least, so a rambling I will go around Aotearoa until then. I pick up a hire car tomorrow, destination unknown. But wherever I end up someone will call me Bro and it will probably rain a bit.