I should have posted. On Monday last the NZ government announced that anyone with a visa that had a visa that was going to expire from April 1 to July 9 would be automatically extended. Have yet to get the email that was promised but there is enough public posting from the government about the extension that I am not worried. They said an email would come. My visa does not expire until April 4 so I am covered. Before the announcement I had submitted the forms for a new visa. Have not heard about that but again no issue as current visa is extended. Also before the announcement and not knowing about the new visa extension we booked a flight from AKL to LAX on March 30, 2020. That flight was cancelled a few days ago. Air NZ issued a future credit for the amount we had paid, which was a good price. The reason I selected that date. April 1 and 2 were twice the price paid. Two nights ago I was able to book flights home to for May 17, 2020 and was able to book using the credit received with no fare increase required. The internet price for the new flight was 50% higher than what we ended up paying. Very happy about that. NZ air was very good about that.

As you all may or may not know, New Zealand is on 100% lockdown for 4 weeks starting last Wednesday. The grocery stores are limiting the number entering and requiring only one shopper. So June has done most of the shopping the last day or so. The government has been very strong about everybody staying home and only going out for some fresh air but close to home. They are using a term I have not seen in the US. They are referring to family units etc as " YOUR BUBBLE". As June's brother lives be himself but we have seen him a lot and very recently we have included Brian in our " Bubble" so we go and pick him up and take him home after he has been over for a bit of Scrabble with June and some dinner. We will continue to do that.

I would also add that the NZ government has been very transparent about what is going on and the communication has been excellent. Very straight forward, and easily to understand. It has been interesting to observe the difference in the government structure between NZ and the US. There are no equivalents in NZ to the state organizations that exist in the US. I need to remind our NZ friends that the federal government in the US can not just dictate to the states what to do. In NZ the federal government has the ability to make all those decisions from a central authority in Wellington.

Apologize again for rambling on after answering Marc query about my visa. Gives me something to do besides watching the telly.