Australia's outback territory toasts its first pub beer after virus shutdown

By Byron Kaye

 

The chief minister of Australia's outback Northern Territory was one of the first people in the country to pour a beer in public for weeks as the region's pubs reopened their doors on Friday after an almost two-month coronavirus shutdown. Emer McCarthy reports.

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The chief minister of Australia's outback Northern Territory was one of the first people in the country to pour a beer in public in weeks as the region's pubs opened their doors on Friday after an almost two-month coronavirus shutdown.

 

"I think I've earned one and I think a lot of Territorians out there have earned a beer as well," Michael Gunner told reporters as he pulled a beer behind the bar of the Cavenagh Hotel in Darwin just as the clock struck midday, the official reopening hour.

 

"It's been 53 days and I think you've all deserved that beer," said Gunner, who earlier this week bragged of a truck convoy carrying 175,000 litres of beer up the long highway north in preparation for the big day.

 

Publicans re-hired staff who were laid off when the country went into lockdown in March and set up extra seats for an expected rush to watering holes in the territory made famous by the movie "Crocodile Dundee".

 

Australia is following a three-step plan out of social distancing measures, but each state and territory is moving at their own pace.

 

The sparsely populated Northern Territory, which has had fewer than 30 COVID-19 cases and no deaths among its 250,000 residents, was the first to fully reopen bars and pubs, albeit with restrictions including a two-hour time limit for patrons who must be seated at spaced-out tables.

 

The NT News, a daily newspaper known for its irreverence, ran a live blog on the territory's "historic day" and poked fun at the rest of the country with the front page headline "Screw you we're having a brew".

 

At the Berry Spring Tavern, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southwest of Darwin, owner Ian Sloan raced to finish a kitchen renovation and set up extra furniture in the car park so he would not have to turn anybody away.

 

"It's quite restrictive but at least it's the first stage and people can see light at the end of the tunnel," Sloan told Reuters by telephone.

 

Sloan planned to enforce the two-hour time limit by issuing colour-coded wristbands when patrons entered, and comply with a rule that everyone who drinks must eat by putting on a free barbecue. Those rules are in place until June 5.

 

Sloan said he planned to take back some of the 22 staff he let go in March when the federal government ordered the closure of non-essential public spaces, but was cautious given the closure of state and national borders.

 

"If there's not going to be tourists around this year, hopefully Territorians get out there and have a look around in their own backyard," he said.

 

(Reporting by Byron Kaye and Colin Packham; editing by Jane Wardell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-16

 

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8 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

restrictions including a two-hour time limit for patrons

 

Is that 2 hrs per pub ?? 

Not a problem unless there is only 1 pub in the town, which is quite common in some of those NT little towns ????

Struth, 2hrs will confuse em. Big search now on for Timepieces the Sun n Seasons are near enough up there.

4 hours ago, pineapple01 said:

Struth, 2hrs will confuse em. Big search now on for Timepieces the Sun n Seasons are near enough up there.

Nearly 2 years after moving back to the UK from 20 years in Bangkok, I'm still not used to there being more than 2 hours between the times of sun-up/sundown all year round.

Edited May 16, 20206 yr by Andrew65

26 Covid-19 cases - all from overseas!

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

patrons who must be seated at spaced-out tables

Far out.

watch out for the cruise ships in the outback  cheers

I'd be surprised if the denizens of the "outback" had been conforming to the dictat, even if only "unofficially".

The PC and wimps don't do well there, from what I hear.

 

 

The front page of the NT News on Friday was a bloody bewdy...

 

Cheers 

Having lived there, and had a beer in both of the pubs mentioned, can only say congratulations, wish I was with you.

Something for the ladies? 

 

11 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Is that 2 hrs per pub ?? 

Not a problem unless there is only 1 pub in the town, which is quite common in some of those NT little towns ????

Or WA, example Marble Bar.

5 hours ago, Chassa said:

26 Covid-19 cases - all from overseas!

Yes, we were lucky.

The only local transmission we had was someone who was quarantining at home after being overseas infected a family member

The other news for the beer drinkers in Australia is the dumping down the drain of unknown amounts of beer that has either reached or close to its use by date by the major breweries and if they are not careful and the yeast dies then it will take 3 months to regrow the yeast before they can brew the beer again. 

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-16/coronavirus-stale-beer-use-by-date-pubs-covid-19/12242074

On 5/16/2020 at 7:29 AM, cornishcarlos said:

 

Is that 2 hrs per pub ?? 

Not a problem unless there is only 1 pub in the town, which is quite common in some of those NT little towns ????

2hrs to get some down your neck, step outback for  "Jimmy" and back in again... no-worries mate!

If the landlord says "you were in here just now"

I say "no that's was me twin brother, now it's my go" !!

On 5/16/2020 at 7:20 AM, rooster59 said:

The sparsely populated Northern Territory, which has had fewer than 30 COVID-19 cases and no deaths

Good job.

On 5/16/2020 at 7:20 AM, rooster59 said:

The NT News, a daily newspaper known for its irreverence

I wish the NYT and WP would be put in that category.

 

Really happy for the Outback folks. Stay healthy.

On 5/16/2020 at 9:41 PM, Jai Dee said:

The front page of the NT News on Friday was a bloody bewdy...

 

They should send a copy of that to every federal politician.