It's off to work they go

Barry Kipa didn't really stop working, but has now opened the door at Whanau Meats. Picture / Peter Jackson

The easing of the Covid-19 lockdown to level 3 on Tuesday was obviously popular in Kaitaia.

The main street was busy enough to make finding a parking space challenging at times, although no more than a handful of businesses were open.

The ATMs were doing a roaring trade though, as were the two laundromats, as they had been doing throughout level 4. The few new options for spending a dollar or two included the tobacconist, a butchery and one takeaway. The two pharmacies, the Kaitaia Food Market, formerly the town's 4 Square, and a dairy, all of which had remained open throughout, were busy too.

They were joined yesterday by another fast food outlet and banks, with masked security guards outside to control customer flows.

Barry Kipa was pleased to be serving customers once again at Whanau Meats on Tuesday, one inside the door at a time, although he had had no trouble keeping busy for much of level 4, processing beef from Te Rarawa's Sweetwater Farm for 23 marae and a number of elderly folk who were not keen, or able, to queue at the supermarket.

"People have been scrambling for fresh meat, and we've been doing the best we can," he said.

He had had the first two weeks of lockdown level 4 off but had been busy since then.

"We've had our ups and downs, like everyone else, but we're still here," he added.

"We've had good support from Kaitaia, and from outside town, but we've stayed within our own little bubble. Like everyone else we've bee doing what we have to do and keeping positive."

The iwi had been doing a great job, and he had been pleased to be able to support them.

There was another upside to the easing of the lockdown to level 3 too — he had just about had enough of cooking dinner every night to last him a while, and he was looking forward to a change from that routine.

Meanwhile tobacconist Raymond Jujnovich and his righthand woman Brenna Maxwell were on deck at the other end of the street. They had erected a perspex barrier at the door to prevent customers from crossing the threshold, but everything in the shop was available for purchase, from a safe distance.

Raymond was pleased to be back at work, possibly having had enough of bingeing on movies, including one marathon 7pm to 5am session, something to do with drug-running.

"Then I went to bed," he said.

McCarthny Mitre 10 opened on Tuesday too, Rochelle McCarthny saying it had been "manic," and yesterday was unfolding in similar fashion.

Custom was down to about half what it would have been under normal circumstances, she said, but the process of dealing with customers under the lockdown rules was very time-consuming.

There was nothing in particular that customers were wanting though — they were after "everything".

Others have not opened their doors but are taking orders online and inviting customers to 'call and collect'. Folders and Marston Moor are both operating that way, taking orders by phone (0800 156-678 and 0800 002-217 respectively) and their websites, offering delivery to the customer's door or at the stores between 9am and 1pm.