Whanganui entered lockdown on March 25, and the streets were dead silent. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui entered lockdown on March 25, and the streets were dead silent. Photo / Bevan Conley
March 7
Records were broken on March 7 this year, when air force technician Sergeant Dean Hart smashed the New Zealand land speed record, clocking up an average speed of 363 kilometres an hour over the space of a mile at Ohakea Air Base. The speed beat the previous recordof 355km/h.
During the ride, Hart reached a top speed of 458.2km/h - so fast that his helmet began to lift from the top of his head.
The record was broken in a car that took 10 years to build, with a 60-year-old Rolls Royce Viper 535 engine powering the 30-year-old chassis.
Air force Sergeant Dean Hart beat the NZ land speed record at RNZAF Base Ohakea in his jet powered dragster in March. Photo / Bevan Conley
Stellar Bar and Restaurant on Taupo Quay was packed to the rafters on March 8, as hometown faithful packed in to watch Whanganui raised UFC fighter Israel Adesanya retain his UFC middleweight champion title.
The crowd clapped with relief when Adesanya's hand was raised after a bout which most agreed could have gone either way.
Adesanya's old sparring partner Kyle Gallacher was in the crowd at the bar too, providing his commentary and analysis on the fight to other pub-goers.
The old Avoca Hotel in Upokongaro got a new lease on life in March, with a new leasee opening her first business in the building.
After Leanne Black heard that the former hotel was on the market she quickly made some phone calls. Within 24 hours, she had found somewhere to live and was the proud new operator of the building.
Black opened the Riverboat Cafe and Bar, a name the building had in a former life, with the business proving popular among locals.
March 23
The country was plunged into a feeling of disbelief on March 23, when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced New Zealand would be sent into lockdown within 48 hours.
The feeling in Whanganui was not too dissimilar from the feeling nationwide, with the next day's Chronicle featuring comments from various community leaders such as the mayor, church leaders, and other various local figures saying it was the right call.
Immediately after the announcement, a pair even set up a Zoom morning tea catch up group for people across Whanganui, which was to become popular in the days ahead.
The Whanganui region had its first three cases of Covid-19 days into nationwide lockdown. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui attempted to come to terms with what an essential service was, how much toilet paper they were allowed to buy, and figuring out how to use Zoom. Just as the Prime Minister has indicated, within 48 hours we were officially in lockdown, heading into an April completely locked down.
March 28
Despite already being in lockdown, the Covid-19 crisis suddenly felt much closer to home on March 28 when the region's first three cases of Covid-19 were announced.
The three men with the virus flew in from Chicago, before travelling back to their home in Ruapehu. Public health staff were in contact with all three of the men daily, providing support and advice as the rest of the community remained in lockdown.
The first three cases were quite a contrast from the system in New Zealand today. Back in March there was no such thing as managed isolation, and returnees were simply trusted to take themselves to their own accommodation and self-isolate. There was no testing conducted at the border, and anyone subsequently diagnosed with the virus could remain in self-isolation in their own homes.
