A woman walks away with a branch of flowers cut from a Japanese cherry tree on Centre Island in Toronto during the coronavirus pandemic. AP Photo / Frank Gunn, The Canadian Press
We are one Canadian and one American - now back home in Toronto - who were travelling around the South Island when lockdown began.
I cannot stop thinking about how kind, patient and sane people were wherever we were and whenever we needed assistance.
From our travel
agent in Auckland (Daniel Bloomfield) to our campground hosts in Christchurch (Dan, Julie and Steve Fraser at North South Holiday Park) to the hardworking employees at New World, Fresh Choice and Countdown supermarkets, and to Air New Zealand personnel - thank you and many others.
It is remarkable how stunningly beautiful your country is and how extraordinary you are as a nation.
Your leadership on the world stage in handling this pandemic is admired and envied the world over.
Although our trip did not end up being all that we planned, it was nonetheless, unforgettable, and we hope to return someday soon.
Until then, we will follow your progress to level 1 and beyond with fond memories and just a bit of envy.
Ann Tracey & Peter Korb, Toronto, Canada.
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It wasn't long ago that we were standing in our driveways and on balconies clapping and shouting "thank you" to the essential workers who kept us going during lockdown.
Are our memories so short that we will now stand by and see them miss out on their share of the wage subsidy, as is happening with courier drivers and, in the case of aged-care workers, being paid less than others doing similar work?
Have we already forgotten how important these people are to our whole way of life? Now's the time for ordinary people to show true appreciation.
Easy to shout "thank you" but just as easy to write to MBIE, Minister Twyford, to demand he step up and ensure these people get fair recompense for their hard work.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Your correspondent Hylton Le Grice (NZ Herald, May 20) is right to criticise the extraordinary length of time it has taken Waikato Regional Council to deal with Watercare's application to take more water from the Waikato River, but wrongly attributes the delay to the "flawed Resource Management Act."
The Act sets up a process for granting resource consents expeditiously. It is not the fault of the Act that it has taken seven years for the Regional Council to not process Watercare's application.
Rather, the fault lies with Watercare and/or the Regional Council. Why did they not fast-track the application, as the Act allows?
John Burns, Mt Eden.
It might be time to limit infill housing in Auckland and positively encourage urban growth and business opportunities in other areas of New Zealand.
Water is an essential commodity for human life and we may have reached a point where it is no longer sustainable to supply the current and future population of Auckland.
One would hope that Watercare and Auckland Council (which owns Watercare) addressed this through the Auckland Unitary Plan.
Alison Feeney, Remuera.
During the two days of level 1 water restrictions coming into force there were some 120 tip-offs to Watercare from neighbours.
New Zealand faced "tip-offs" also on the Covid-19 number set up to dob in those flouting the rules.
What I want to know is where the culture of having a friendly chat with your neighbour has gone?
Have we all become a nation of dobbers?
Darren Masters, Panmure.
I noticed in today's article (NZ Herald, May 20) about eight list Members of Parliament who may lose their seats in the next election.
I would hazard to guess that the only people in New Zealand who have heard of these eight would be their immediate family.
It is about time we got rid of the number of MPs who are just there "earning" a huge wage and achieving nothing for it.
Rick O'Neill, Te Aroha.
The China-Taiwan issue was a result of the Chinese civil war between the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai Shek and Mao Zedong's Communist army. The Communists won in 1949 and banished the Nationalists to the island of Taiwan. The United Nations in 1971 officially recognised The People's Republic of China (PRC) as China's legitimate government, replacing Republic of China (Taiwan) which has been propped up by the US. Today, both governments claim to be the rightful representative of the whole of China, even though Taiwan has only 24 million people, compared to China's 1.4 billion.
For Winston Peters to meddle in China's internal affairs and voice his support for Taiwan representation at the WHO is like poking the eye of our largest export customer.
He is using this issue as an election gambit to put himself in the news and dare the Prime Minister to reprimand or fire him. It is a gamble that could cost the NZ economy dearly.
George Lim, Remuera.
Mathew Hooton's opinion piece (NZ Herald, May 19) on more than one occasion speaks about Winston Peters' outbursts about China being tantamount to sackable offences.
However, throughout the time this Government has been in power we have seen incompetence and insubordination by various ministers ignored or excused by the Prime Minister.
The reason that Winston will not be sacked or possibly even "spoken to harshly" is the lack of talent in this Government. Any minister sacked could only be replaced by someone even more unfit for the job.
This is not only the Government's" A" team but also its only team.
And if the current poll was to translate into votes, this country would rue the day it elected a two "man" Government.
Trevor Stevens, Pukekohe.
In 31 months, a prime minister of exceptional skill and giftedness has made a deep impact on New Zealanders and the global community alike. Her innate political instincts, strong levels of empathy, an ability to articulate policy and its rationale with great clarity, and fine communication skills, particularly in crisis, have been the hallmark of her short yet stellar period of national leadership.
She is truly a once in a lifetime leader, whose prime ministership has already become one of arguably the greatest consequence since that of Michael Joseph Savage. Swift to respond, flexible in her thinking, she is a master of explaining the complex in a manner accessible to a broad range of stakeholders and the public in general.
She is not arrogant, full of bluster, condescending, or stubborn. She has brought back a sense of nationhood that sadly got lost in decades of profound economic and social reform. But perhaps most of all, she brings balance to debate and argument, and learns quickly from her mistakes.
It gives me pride to have her as leader of my country, as it will many New Zealanders, more so given her handling of the Christchurch terrorist attacks, the White Island tragedy, and Covid-19.
Sam Clements, Hauraki.
Wow, 5 million population, and we should celebrate?
I think the world is realising that it is the overpopulation of this tired and polluted planet that is the root of most of our problems.
Before we rush excitedly toward even more immigrants, we should be counting our blessings on our low population.
At 5 million, we are not capable of being clean and green, our air pollution is returning to obnoxious levels, and we are not even able to supply adequate water supply in a drought.
Vince West, Milford.
Maire Leadbeater's letter concerning military spending (May 19) is spot on. Not only did NZ First's Ron Mark succeed in getting $1.77 billion in the 2020 Budget, in the so-called "Wellbeing Budget" of 2019, a record $20 billion was allocated for military upgrades and capabilities over the next decade. The arrival of Covid-19 has highlighted how much affected families and whanau need urgent support. The proposed, lavish military spending must be suspended, reviewed and hardship relief prioritised. When military spending remains so well resourced, it is immoral and callous to rely on charitable generosity to meet obvious community needs.
Janfrie Wakim, Epsom.
On restrictions
I fear the totalitarian restrictions more than the virus. Pauline Gough, Warkworth.
With the present pandemic we should remind ourselves that it is so easy for democracies to turn a declared state of emergency into a dictatorship. Neville Nielsen, Orewa.
On China
Behind those smiles and the tummy- tickling the claws are out to snatch our sovereignty. China already owns much of us. Let's stand up for ourselves and listen to Winston. Richard Kean, Ngongotaha.
On roads
We've saved countless lives due to the restrictions imposed over the last two months. Now we can return to killing each other on the roads, which is an acceptable civil liberty and our normal modus operandi. Jules Riding, Whangarei.
On models
Do fashion models really hate their jobs so much? Not one smile among Viva's line-up of grumpy-looking clothes-horses. Pamela Russell, Orakei.
On holiday
The Government must already be out of ideas on how to stimulate the economy. The latest proposal is to have more holidays. Anyone on the dole want a holiday? A. J. Petersen, Kawerau.
On democracy
Democracy was founded on two separate fundamental principles set down by Pericles and Plato. In over 30 years' study, I find only Switzerland, with its regular referendums, comes anywhere near their principles. Kenneth Lees, Whangarei.
'We now have the internet!'