April 12th Easing of Restrictions - The Good News

Alright, it's April 12 and phase 1 the Gov's lifting of Level 5 restrictions — we've made it this far! We're all sick of reading about what we can't do, so here are some positive takes on what's possible from this week on:

County-wide travel

is the biggest takeaway from this week's easing of restrictions. If you're desperate for an outdoors adventure, fight the Monday blues and brainstorm somewhere scenic to visit this weekend — our Hikes & Trails section can help you with that.  

Although many public spaces will remain closed for at least a few more weeks, there are so many more local spots now to explore or revisit. Check out 5 Picturesque Countryside Walks for Spring for some inspiration, scroll through Local News for other roundups, or search our Hikes & Trails/Self Guided Tours for a walk that suits you!

Catch-ups

(the non-zoom kind, thank God!) are back with a bang this week. Because they are restricted to outdoor public spaces, we recommend taking the opportunity to treat yourself to a takeaway coffee and freshly baked danish whilst strolling (socially distanced, of course) around town with the friend you've sorely missed.

Weather-permitting, why not head down to the local beach or forest park for some beautiful views while having the chats; truly the best of both worlds!

Talking about spending time with good food in good company, bars and restaurants are now permitted to serve takeaway pints: welcome news for those who've been longing for an expertly-pulled pint to accompany their favourite local takeout dish.

All secondary school students

return to their classrooms today — a relief for all those hard-working teens whose broadband was constantly letting them down, and for exhausted parents too. The additional time spent with friends on school grounds will hopefully lift their tired spirits.

Residential construction

resumes today, which of course is fantastic news for those who are in the middle of creating or retrofitting their dream homes. All going well, their projects will continue without interruption now for the foreseeable future. Fingers crossed for all those aspiring homeowners out there!

Lastly: for our loved ones who received the 2nd dose of the vaccine over 2 weeks ago, the gov says:

'You can meet with other fully vaccinated people from 1 other household indoors without wearing masks or staying 2 metres apart.'

Now isn't that music to our ears?! We're not too far away from that being a reality for us all — hang on in there folks!