A few of you, my gentle readers, ask what’s happening for us with the latest Australian COVID cock-up. More on that in a moment. For now we are enjoying this, the beach shown below. At the far end you can see some trees which mark the caravan park where we’re staying. At the moment we’re on our eighth day at this aptly named and very beautiful 80 mile beach. The nearest town is Port Hedland, 250kms away and only a roadhouse in between. There’s nothing to do but walk the beach, read, potter, fish (Scott – and no, nothing worth keeping) and take naps. The down side? It isn’t at all nice for swimming as there’s not much clarity, lots of stingers, maybe sharks – though it’s possible there’s as much chance of a shark attack as there is catching COVID here but I’d as soon risk neither. And the caravan park shop doesn’t have an espresso machine.

First, breaking news: we haven’t been hospitalised with blood clots: 29 days ago we had our first Astra Zeneca (AZ) jabs.  The reason I even mention blood clots is the potential risk of blood clots forming (between 4 and 28 days) after vaccination has been blown out of proportion, and is part of the reason the vaccine roll out in Australia is a complete dog’s breakfast. Never mind the proverbial piss up in a brewery, they literally can’t organise a vaccine programme in a pandemic.

So here’s the current state of play. As New Zealand ordered only Pfizer vaccine, the Astra Zeneca “problem” probably has not arisen at home.  Despite the fact that AZ is 100% effective and is widely used around the world, and is what most countries have built their vaccination programmes around, that is ignored.

Here in Australia there is much panic-inducing reportage, along with mixed messages from the Federal and individual State Governments (thank God New Zealand has one Government for the whole country) and various health experts, about AZ.  At first the recommendation is it’s for over 40s, then they amend the advice to over 50s, then over 60s. At the same time the Government announces the phasing out of AZ while they order more Pfizer. 

Even so, they are contracted  to manufacture 52 million doses of AZ at God knows what cost, and they’ll “donate” unused vaccines to “poorer countries”.  The upshot? People in all age groups including all the COVID at risk groups think, well, I’ll wait for the Pfizer cos the Government doesn’t think AZ is any good.  Then, in what is hardly unprecedented, ScMo does another about face – he must be dizzy by now –  and goes on TV telling anyone over 18 to go and get AZ as soon as possible!

Then there’s the anti-vaxxers, COVID deniers, and lockdown protestors, who all like to get together, mask-less, and “exercise their freedom”.  Ironically, if they got jabbed they’d have more freedom. Still they hold fast to crystals and sunshine to protect them from the virus.  At a protest in Sydney last week one protestor was so incensed at the idea of stopping community transmission he punched a horse. Who punches a horse? The horse showed greater maturity by not punching back.

How does the popping of the trans-Tasman bubble impact us? The eight weeks Jacinda set takes us to September 17th.  We’d planned to come back to NZ at the end of October, so decided to hold fast to hope and stay on. Surely NSW and Queensland can get their shit together before then.  Oh how we laugh. Our second vaccination (AZ, so not available in NZ) is due on August 20th, so arguably we have to stay here for that.

Western Australia has, perhaps, the most strict border arrangements and the Premier, Mark McGowan, is ready and more than willing to shut things down at a moment’s notice. He is well supported by the public. Everywhere we go scanning in is routine and staff will remind you to do so if they think you’ve forgotten.  It doesn’t escape us that the economy of WA is massive and relies on mines, pipelines, drilling and off shore work continuing. The export of iron ore must not be stopped – more on that in the next blog when I introduce you to the delights of Port Hedland, the largest bulk export port IN THE WORLD.

We are prepared to linger longer in WA if we can’t get home when we plan – might be when we find out if we can live in Albany as we wondered a few weeks ago.  If the NZ/Australia border opens and we have to go into quarantine, so be it – we knew that could happen when we left.  The issue might be getting a booking if what I read on Stuff is true.

It is tiresome hearing about Aussie athletes at Tokyo, because of course New Zealand’s fantastic efforts and achievements are of little interest here. I also never thought I’d be able to name each State’s Premier and Chief Medical Advisor, but there you go.

Suggest you hold off buying us Christmas presents, as we may not make it home by then.