Second week of quarantine in Auckland

At 6:45 am, Dave glances out of our west facing window. “I missed the bottom half of the crane operator’s climb. He’s halfway up.” 

He grabs his binoculars. “This must be a different guy. He looks stockier, and he’s moving more slowly. . . . He’s got on a down jacket and a hat. It must be cold out there today. . . . Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Now he’s on another platform resting. His neon vest is flapping in the wind. . . . He doesn’t do exercises at each landing like the guy from yesterday.”

After that crane operator is safely installed in his cab – yes, Dave can see him get settled in – Dave turns his attention to the crane to the south. That crane operator does a new thing on his way up. “He’s going around to the four corners of each platform. It looks like he’s tightening the bolts on each corner of each platform. . . . Now he’s way out on the arm of the crane inspecting the weights and cables. That guy is really thorough. I wonder if crane operators here in New Zealand know about the crane that fell down in Seattle last year because the bolts weren't tightened.” 

Here's Dave's painting of our view to the south, including the crane where the bolt-tightening guy climbed up.

As I said in my post from last week, the three construction cranes we can see are a source of endless entertainment for us. The crane operator to the south has a bag slung over his shoulder every day as he climbs up. We presume it contains his lunch. But the crane operators to the west don’t bring anything up with them. What do they eat and drink? It appears they are up there all day. Are there toilets up there?

Today is our last day in our two-week quarantine. When I wrote last week, we had spent four of the first five days inside, and we were hoping to be able to get outside that day. Around noon, I called the nurses to say that Dave's stomach upset was now 48 hours in the past, and could we go out? The nurse asked Dave a multitude of questions, and said she would get back to us. An hour later, she called to say Dave needed to talk to a doctor, who would phone our room soon. An hour later, the doctor called and asked Dave a bunch of the same and different questions. He said he needed to talk with the medical team. About 4 pm, one of the nurses called to say we could now go outside.

Dave and I raced for our jackets and masks. In the lobby, Dave made a reservation for the next day for the bus that takes walkers to a special place on at the harbor. Then we were outside in the fresh air. Excellent.

Ever since then, we've spent time outside every day. The walking path is 125 steps round trip. Dave can manage a half hour of rapid walking round and round. I do less time walking and more time sitting in the seating area using my exercise band and doing leg lifts and other exercises. 

Here's the seating area on a quiet day where everyone was reading. You can see chalk drawings on the decking. Chalk is a big part of the outdoor experience, as you can see in the second photo.

And here's a family group taking a photo. In the background you can see our west crane.

I had forgotten how windy New Zealand can be. An island nation, to be sure. Here's a video of the seating area on one of the two very windy days we have experienced. You'll see one of the many security guys, then a guy who I presume is a Kiwi because of wearing shorts in pretty cool weather, and at the end, a worker at the top of the building that we observe all day long from our room 15 floors up. 

Dave has now experienced two walks at the harbor. Busses come from all the quarantine hotels, with about ten people on each large bus. Dave enjoyed looking at the freighters in the harbor. You can see how the space is fenced off so the people in quarantine can't escape.

With each trip down to the courtyard, the lobby of the hotel feels more and more surreal as I notice the details of the people sitting there. They have blocked off what is the restaurant in normal times with a barrier. Behind the barrier we can usually see several people in navy blue uniforms and some nurses in PPE. As we turn toward the door, several people in military fatigues sit behind a tall table on the right. You tell them your room number before you go outside, and when you come in you tell them you're back inside. In addition, they book the trips to the harbor.  On the left are the hotel staff behind desks, like the registration people at any typical hotel. 

As you walk outside, not only are there two barricades between the hotel entrance and the street, two security guards stand there. One time I saw a police officer talking to the guards. Here's a view into the lobby. You can see the security guys on the left outside, the army guys on the left inside, and a couple of guests waiting for the elevator, distanced from each other. On the right are the hotel staff, and in the far back are the guys in blue uniforms and nurses. See the barricade on the left side of the photo? A few feet further to the left is a second barricade, and beyond that, the street. 

While I was writing this post, one of the guys in a blue uniform came to our room to drop off the results of our third covid test (negative) and give us written instructions for leaving. I could see "air force" written on his pocket. He asked if I had any questions, so I said, "Are all the guys downstairs in blue uniforms in the air force like you?" He said yes.

I said, "So you and the army work together in the quarantine hotels. Where is the navy?" He replied that half of the quarantine hotels are run by the air force and half by the navy, and in all of them the army is in charge of recreation. I had spoken with one of the army guys the day before, and he said he sleeps at the hotel and eats the food. "Better than the barracks," he said.

The reason the air force officer could bring us our instructions for leaving was because I have had three detailed conversations with a logistics person -- who I think introduced herself as an air force officer -- who wanted to know every place we're staying for the first two weeks after quarantine in case contact tracing is necessary. 

We'll be glad to get out tomorrow, for sure, but mostly we feel privileged. We got assigned to one of the best quarantine hotels, they tell us. We had one of the best rooms in the hotel, with windows on two sides, high enough to get great views. We've been zooming and emailing and phoning with friends and family. And now we get to travel in a beautiful country with very little fear of getting covid. Privileged.

Here's Dave's watercolor sketch of our view to the southwest. See the palm trees in Myers Park, one of the many fun things to look at out our window.

I'll close with two images. First some elevator signs. The top sign is the time of the walks at the harbor. The second sign announces the free counseling available to quarantine folks who are feeling stressed. People have been very careful to obey the third sign. 

Here's Dave's painting of the view to the northwest from our room. Highlights include the Auckland Harbour Bridge, St Matthew's in the City Anglican Church, and the Sky Tower. The land you can barely see in the distance is Auckland's North Shore. 

If you missed my post from last week, it's here.