The cogs of life in Otago and Southland have started to turn again under Alert Level 2.
Arterial routes around the town centres were noticeably busier with traffic yesterday, as more people made their way back to work.
A smattering of people (some wearing face masks) could be seen walking around Dunedin, while other groups queued outside hairdressers and beauty salons.
Some cafes were starting to serve coffee and food inside, rather than have people queue on the footpath outside.
There was also a buzz among businesses which were reopening their doors for the first time since the lifting of Level 3 and 4 restrictions.
Mac’s Brewbar duty manager Ella Galletly said she had never been so excited to go back to work."It’s been a long time coming.
"It’s the simple things — you forget how much of a social role it is. Going from seeing people constantly, to seeing absolutely no-one — it’s good to see everyone’s faces again."
She hoped the novelty of being back at work would not wear off too soon.
"I don’t think it will. I’m just grateful to still have a job."
Only UR’s Beauty Parlour owner Jasmeet Madan was also excited about reopening yesterday.
"The economy is going to run again. That’s what we’ve been looking forward to."
He said the business usually served 80 to 100 people a day, and he believed it would not take long for customers to come flooding back because many had gone without their beauty needs for nearly two months.
"We’re expecting some pretty horrid sights to come in."
Selwyn Grave Barbers, in Moray Pl, reopened yesterday to a long queue of men, some of whom had been waiting since 7am.
Manager Lara Findlater said it was great to see, and staff had quickly settled into "the new norm" of business under Level 2.
However, Dunedin Sheepskin Shop manager Sue Barclay said she was anxious about being in close proximity to people again, and hoped customers would respect store owners’ protocols for hygiene and social distancing.
"It’s a concerning time. But we need to start moving forward."
GoBus driver Ron Turner had been working throughout Levels 3 and 4, and said the streets were much busier yesterday.
He said some bus services were getting close to pre-Covid-19 passenger numbers, and believed passenger numbers would return to normal on Monday when schools reopened.
The Queenstown and Invercargill town centres were also noticeably busier yesterday.
Skyline’s gondola cabins have been reattached, music is coming from a variety of bars and restaurants, car parks are beginning to fill up, and the Queenstown Water Ferries are back on Lake Wakatipu, albeit less frequent and with reduced capacity to manage physical distancing.
For Matthew Lobb and Sacha Coghill, it was a day to remember because the couple flew by helicopter to the top of the Remarkables, where Mr Lobb proposed.
Miss Coghill said "of course" and described it as a "remarkable" day.
In Invercargill, there was a constant stream of traffic in the inner city.
People sat in cafes enjoying food and coffee, and shops which had been sitting dark for the past seven weeks were once again illuminated.
