It seems way too soon to be getting back into the business of serious commentary, so I'll work up to it with an aside or two.
Just as I seriously overestimated my speed-reading abilities during a recent short break, I made one or two claims that require redress: the spaghetti alle vongole did not eventuate, at least not in your columnist's kitchen, but thanks to a close relative who has spent several years in Italy and beat me to the cutlery draw on this one, I now know the natives of that splendid country do not generally dress this particular pasta dish with parmesan.
Apologies if anyone has sullied their taste buds with such culinary infelicity in the meantime.
The clams harvested from the low-tide sand banks off Pakawau in Golden Bay were, instead, put to good use in a chowder - and lest this be construed as a cookery column, I'll refrain from divulging the recipe at this point.
Meantime, I have been taken to task for limiting my choice of reasons to enjoy living in Dunedin to a mere 10. What on earth was I thinking? Well, I wasn't really - rather indulging in a bit of free-range long-distance holiday doodling.
But since I am pressed by a couple of readers, here are 10 more: the Dunedin Public Art Gallery; the Southern Sinfonia; the Otago Museum; the Settlers Museum; the Globe Theatre; the Regent Theatre; the city's heritage buildings; the excellent restaurants; the weather (I know, counter-intuitive this one but, trust me, the winters are more tolerable than Christchurch's); and, of course, how could I have left it out last time round, the people, including the fiercely intelligent readers of this column who are quick to spot and educate the author on his various sins of omission.
Speaking of sins of omission, there is something discomforting about the whole Pike River recovery affair and in particular the way in which the original announcement that the mine will be sealed - thus entombing the victims in perpetuity - was handled. (While the Government is holding its position, the decision appears to have been revisited with the announcement on Monday the receivers would continue to try to stabilise the mine for up to a further eight weeks.)Part of the discomfort is at how the bereaved families seem to have been sidelined in the decision-making process.
They should be the first considerations in any discussion of the matter, and others among us should take care how we tread on their grief.
In this respect, late last week Prime Minister John Key appeared to lose his normally sure footing.
On Friday Pike River Mine Committee spokesman Bernie Monk, whose 23-year-old son Michael was lost in the explosion, expressed anger and anguish at the fact the families of the victims heard the news via the rumour mill on the streets of Greymouth.
On Thursday night the police announced the recovery mission was going to be abandoned.
The following day, Mr Key endorsed that decision, saying the recovery plan had failed and there was no credible way to retrieve the bodies.
"The Government was fully committed to doing everything we could to making sure the bodies were removed and that full closure could be achieved for those families but that's just not possible and its not an issue of money or time or commitment," he said.
Mr Monk was upset the families had not been informed of the impending decision.
"Is John Key a law unto himself now? Don't you think he should have got in touch with the families? He made this decision without speaking to us and it is a bloody disgrace," he said.
Mr Key cited the fact the decision was based on the views of three independent experts and on international advice.
His has been a burdensome and unenviable responsibility, but the decision to be so demonstrably hands-on in dealing with the crisis was always politically risky.
Throughout the unfolding drama he cut a compassionate and compelling figure.
A leader.
The nation, as it had been in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake, warmed to him.
But perhaps in the hands of his advisers, the rhetoric of his speechwriters, and in the face of the hope of the bereaved, he committed the political sin of at least appearing to over promise on what he now believes can be delivered.
And if that is the case, there will be those among the West Coast mining community for whom the Prime Minister has lost some of his sheen.
- Simon Cunliffe is deputy editor (news) of the Otago Daily Times.
