Life returns to the city
Life returned to Palmerston North as people ventured out of their houses in the first weekend of level 2.
People were scattered around town, with parks, playgrounds and stores busy with families and those in need of some fresh air.
Jacqui Miller was in the mall for the first time on Saturday since being locked down and was lined up for the Sharing Shed in The Plaza for a haircut.
She had ventured into Jay Jays with her daughter and been faced with a form at the door for contact tracing.
‘‘It’s just a hassle writing down your details.’’
Although it didn’t take long, it was an inconvenience. ‘‘But you just have to adapt. I guess this is the new normal.’’
Lines of people queued outside most stores, with a ‘one in, one out’ policy applied.
Miller said it was hard to social distance when you were passing people in tight spaces, but everyone seemed to be behaving lined up outside stores.
Charlotte Cottrell was at the skate park on Church St with her son, Thomas Cottrell and Poppy Cottrell.
She was sitting on the sidelines with her book, and watched on as the children skated. Thomas had a skate ramp at home that he had been practising on, but it wasn’t the same as the skate park. ‘‘He has been champing at the bit to come back to the skate park.’’
Their first time back at the skate park was on Thursday and the family ventured down for two to three hours on most days for Thomas to practise.
Cottrell said it was busier than normal, with children and families dotted around the concrete jungle.
At the Victoria Esplanade playground families and children were running around and playing, with laughter and screams in abundance.
Ruel Vallar was at the playgroundwith his wife, and two children.
It was their first time at the park since lockdown, and they were taking family photographs in the park.
He was happy to be out and ‘‘looking for nature’’. ‘‘With two months of the children stuck inside, we are happy to be out again.’’