Do calmer waters lie ahead in 2021? Photo / Lewis Gardner
The effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic have dominated 2020, but after three months of alert level 1 in Whanganui, locals are optimistic about what lies in store for them in 2021.
As we celebrate the New Year, Mike Tweed asks people in the community about their hopes and aspirations for the next 12 months, and how they plan to move on from a year unlike any other in recent memory.
Whanganui MP Steph Lewis said she was hoping for "a nice, calm year" in 2021.
"There's been a lot of upheaval and change in 2020, so more normality is what I'm hoping for," Lewis said.
"What I would like to see is that if we're having this conversation at the same time next year, we've managed to support as many of our local businesses as possible and continued to recover and rebuild.
"We would have come back stronger and better."
New job opportunities, support for those who had lost their jobs, and working to provide more affordable housing locally were all issues that she would be addressing as MP in the new year, Lewis said.
"It's at the top of my to-do list to go and talk to the Minister for Housing and say 'look, we need housing out in the regions just as much as in the main centres'.
"We've got these priorities locally, but you've got to balance that with the need to act really quickly where Covid-19 is concerned.
"Every single day we're learning new stuff about Covid-19, so we have to continue to be vigilant and on top of our game there. We still need to be looking to the future though, and how we're going to address those big issues."
On a personal level, Lewis said she hoped to maintain a balance between work and family, and maybe even go on a holiday.
"I've got to make sure I'm still able to spend time with friends and family, but give the job my all as well.
"It's that juggle that everybody out there does."
Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall hoped to complete two long-term writing projects, a screenplay and a young adult novel, at some point in 2021.
"It's hard to find time, but it would make me extremely happy if I managed to tick at least one of them off," McDouall said.
It would be a "disaster" if Whanganui went back into lockdown over the next 12 months, he said.
"The number one thing is to keep safe and make sure Covid-19 doesn't get here.
"I think we take it for granted that it's not going to come in through managed isolation, but you just never can tell. We've got to keep that discipline."
Unsurprisingly, Whanganui District Council business was also at the top of McDouall's new year agenda.
"It might sound pretty boring, but I want to put out a good, robust, 10-year plan. We've done a lot of work towards it up to this point, and there are a lot of interesting things.
"I hope there's enough willingness around the council to do one or two things that could be transformative.
"In terms of the city, a three-peat of the 'New Zealand's most beautiful city' award would be great. It actually asks a lot of questions and there has to be continuous improvement, which means there's work to be done."
Cullinane College's 2020 head boy, Cameron Daignault, is preparing to leave home and head to the University of Canterbury to study engineering.
He spent a large part of 2020 working at a local supermarket to save money for his new adventure, including during the various stages of the Covid-19 alert levels.
"Saying 2020 has been a bizarre year is an understatement," Daignault said.
"I've definitely learned patience, with everything."
Daignault, who turns 18 in April, said he was nervous to be leaving home for the first time, but had friends who were heading to the University of Canterbury as well.
"The first year I'll be in residence, and then I'll be flatting with no money for the rest of them.
"I guess my number one hope for 2021 is that the country doesn't go into lockdown and I have to come home. A good, clean year would be great, without heaps of interruptions.
"I really don't want to come home and go back to the supermarket."
There would be nine university papers to complete in his first year, Daignault said.
"There are two calculus, two physics, two chemistry, engineering computer science and something else. There's lots of maths.
"I'm excited. It's the next challenge, and I'll be meeting a lot of new people. It's the great beyond.
"I'm keen to keep on rowing in 2021 as well. I probably can't get involved in too many clubs and things like that though because, like I said, there's going to be a lot of maths in my future."
Māori Party co-leader and MP Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said her hopes for a new year remained the same - "world peace and harmony".
"I think particularly after 2020, with Covid-19, climate strikes and Black Lives Matter, there were real highlights and emphasis on those in our community who do it hard, and the importance of being seen and being heard," Ngarewa-Packer said.
"My aspirations are probably what they've always been, but quite emphatic on being able to grow and encourage communities that are harmonised.
"We need to respect each other and value our differences."
Ngarewa-Packer said maintaining that respect and value would put people in a much better position to face issues such as "pandemics, racism, disparities and equities".
"If 2020 has taught us anything, it's the absolute need to look after each other. We are going to need to do that more and more as we confront some pretty unprecedented issues.
"This isn't just as Aotearoa and Māori and Pakeha, but as the world."
Working on the ground during Covid-19 had shown Ngarewa-Packer the "absolute best of us", she said.
"It was the unity of strength and the harmonisation of communities.
"We can embrace that and not forget the experiences of 2020, and use the experience of the unknown to move forward.
"I could be saying I want to do this [in 2021] and I want to do that, but nothing else you can aspire to is worth anything if we don't look after and respect each other."
On a personal level, Ngarewa-Packer said she wanted to spend more time with loved ones and "out amongst the community" in 2021.
"I actually really miss campaigning, because it was a really good excuse to be together and meet different people. I want to have more time to do that.
"I don't really have any other projects as such, other than to find time to be, and to enjoy family, new relationships and new friendships."
Sam Su'a returned to his hometown of Whanganui after almost two decades to open a new hair salon, The Studio.
Su'a said he felt like his new venture was moving forward and he was keen to build a team and to collaborate with other like-minded people in the community in 2021.
"I want to think of some new, creative ways to create a culture that's cool and exciting," Su'a said.
"I want to make people look good too, of course."
Using the cavernous Studio space to host events was one of his ideas for 2021, Su'a said.
"This is the perfect place to host something, whether it be a collaboration with local artists or bars. A bit of wine-tasting maybe, and a bit of artwork to view.
"If you're good at what you do, regardless of what that is, then the sky's the limit."
Su'a is still commuting regularly to his Auckland clients, but he hopes to spend more and more time in Whanganui as 2021 progressed.
"I need to be spending more time here, investing in ideas and people. Spending half my time in Auckland definitely dilutes my ability to focus on what I can create in Whanganui.
"To be honest, I haven't put much thought into any other aspirations for this next year. What I'm doing now is all new to me, and if we're able to stay Covid-free I'll be pretty happy."
Another big thing for Su'a in 2021 was spending more time with his family.
"Commuting up to Auckland for two years has meant that I've spent more time away from them [than with them], which has been hard.
"My kids are getting to that age where they'll start doing more extra-curricular activities so it would be nice to be a part of some of those things.
"Some form of exercise would be a new year's resolution too. Fitness-wise, I'm pretty slack, eh. Even if it's just stretching or yoga or something like that. Someone could even come up here [The Studio] and host some night-time yoga maybe."
Riders and spectators in Whanganui are anticipating the start of the last race.