People living along Surf Highway or State Highway 45 in Taranaki have generally welcomed the shift to alert level 3, although most will barely notice the difference.
Contractor Rob Aim is looking forward to returning to work. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin
Contractor Rob Aim was filling petrol canisters at the gas station in Ōakura when RNZ pulled in.
He was missing work and over lockdown.
"Daily life is just sh*t. It's boring being confined to the house.
"Me and my son have been out for an hour-and-a-half's walk this morning, but generally the house that we live in is all done so there's no work to do around the house. It's hell really."
Rob won't be able to work at level 3 and reckoned it was going to make little difference to him.
Red was riding her horse Cheeky along the beach at Weld Road.
For her lockdown was already pretty much life as usual.
"Just working on the farm and yeah training horses and general farm life, so yeah, nothing stops."
She reckoned everyone should get out of the house as much as they could and soak up some Vitamin D.
Wayne Williamson was taking Shih Tzu pooches Ebony and Holly along on his rural post run.
Rural post driver Wayne Williamson has worked through lockdown. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin
"We like to talk with the customers if they want to talk to us. I guess a bit like us it can be a bit lonely out on the road if you're not talking with anybody.
"And it gives everyone a break from the routine of doing nothing in their case I guess."
Wayne said the dogs were popular with children stuck at home.
Ben Lilley was busy in his Ōkato furniture workshop.
Furniture maker Ben Lilley in his Ōkato workshop. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin
"Level 4's been fairly normal in that seeing as I live and work on the same property I can continue coming to my workshop, but obviously I had to be well stocked on materials just to make sure I could work through."
He said the drop in alert levels would mean he could order in more materials.
Sergio Bentancor, a farm worker from Uruguay, had just popped out of the Four Square in Rahotu.
The Rahotu Four Square in Taranaki. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin
He'd not had time to much notice lockdown.
"For me and my wife at the moment it's really normal because we are working on the farm all the time and just coming to the supermarket.
"So, it's not changed much when you have lockdown level 4 because we're milking cows every single day. It's no problem for all this area because they are all milking cows and should be normal life."
Sergio Bentancor has been busy milking. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin
He accepted staying home was good for the community.
Nearby, Corey Hodge had just filled his ute with gas.
Corey Hodge is missing socialising at the pub. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin
An agricultural contractor he was still able to work, but was missing the finer things in life.
"It's horrible ... it is horrible though. You know, you've got to stay home and everything.
"I miss going to the pub. You know, actually having a social life. You can't actually go and see mates, you know.
"You can only hang out with the little bubble you've got with your flatmates, you know. It's sh*t ... horrible, horrible ... sorry."
The 26 year old was hoping Taranaki would transition quickly out of alert level 3.
Meanwhile in Ōpunake, Owen - who had just taken his dog Tinker for a walk on his quadbike - was taking it all in his stride.
Retiree Owen and Tinker are looking forward to Ōpunake's coffee shops reopening. Photo: RNZ/Robin Martin
"Yeah well oh I just take the dogs for a walk. I'm retired now and take the dogs for a walk down to the beach and this old girl here has a bit of trouble once she gets half way down there.
"She gets a ride back up and around the corner and then she hops off again and walks back up to the house."
He could see the upside to the shift to level 3.
"It's good because I have a coffee in town every now and again, so yeah, I'm looking forward to that."
The government will review level 3 settings again on Monday.
