I’m writing this article on the 26th March in a house in Marahau, Abel Tasman, in which we will be confined for at least four weeks.
I wanted to write something to document our experience of the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak, the rapidity with which it has come upon us and the implication that it may have on our pastime and our lives in the future.
Hard to believe
It seems hard to believe that a few short months ago, we were travelling through Europe logging routes for 4x4Explorer. We spent time in London, Paris and Barcelona whilst travelling through the UK, France, Italy and Spain. Something quite unimaginable now...
Even returning to New Zealand in late November, we had no idea of what was about to happen.
First whispers
Sometime in January or February, the world became aware of this new virus that had broken out, in a city that most of us had never heard of, somewhere in China.
Like most people, I’m sure, I thought that was just a bad case of flu, infecting a lot of people and killing very few. To most, it would be over as quickly as it started, and anyway it was all happening in China...
Then, one day, I visited a friend and was surprised to see boxes of food everywhere. I was surprised as, at this stage, I still wasn’t taking it very seriously and thought that we would be safe down here in the South Island. How wrong I was!
During this time, we were based at the Top 10 campsite in Papanui and looking to buy a house in Christchurch. The campsite was extremely popular with people arriving in and leaving New Zealand from all over the world.
That was just three weeks ago as I write this!
A common theme
Things started to escalate when all foreign arrivals were asked to self-isolate for 14 days, but people were still arriving at the campsite and using the common facilities.
That was only (again, as I write this) two weeks ago! Still, we went ahead with a planned trip up the Wilberforce with some friends, the weather perfect and the river low. It really was a great weekend, totally away from the world. On Sunday afternoon, when I came back into mobile reception, however, my phone went ballistic!
World gone mad!
Friends who own a backpackers in Marahau, Abel Tasman, told me that all of their bookings had been cancelled overnight and that their season was effectively over. They told me that the water taxis were closing and that all kayak operations in the Abel Tasman National Park had ceased. “The world’ s gone mad,” I thought.
That was ten days ago!
On the following Wednesday, my partner was sent home from work and told that she would be working remotely indefinitely.
Daily, the news was getting worse and worse and probably for the first time I was starting to take this seriously. One evening, I watched a YouTube documentary about the “Spanish Flu” and it really scared me!
That was only one week ago!
Time to ‘get out of Dodge!’
We quickly decided that this was no time to be buying a house nor staying in a campsite, so on the Sunday we packed up and headed north.
Why Marahau?
For a start, my parents used to have a house there so we have been frequent visitors and almost locals. The weather is better than Christchurch, it’s on the edge of the National Park and most importantly the ‘end of the road.’
In short a good place to be for the winter and in the event that the situation deteriorated further.
The campsite there has cabins, so the plan was to rent one for a month or so until we could find somewhere to live.
A close run thing!
When we arrived to check in however, we found that the National Park was closed and that we could stay two nights maximum because the campsite was closing and was actually turning people away.
That was last Sunday, only four days ago!
With the clock ticking and impending homelessness, I started calling everyone I knew in the area, in the vain hope of finding some accommodation. Luckily we found a great place with a view of the sea and very remote.
It was close though, because, within 24 hours of arriving here, the country went into lockdown.
Situation gets personal
The situation became personal when I learned that a very good friend from the UK was in hospital fighting for her life while her husband, unable to visit her, was sitting at home wondering if he was already infected! My parents who live in the UK are in their seventies and if anything happens to them, I know that I will have no possibility of seeing them again.
We are lucky because my partner works for a telecoms company and so financially we will be OK, but I know that many people will be suffering and my heart goes out to them!
We are also lucky that we live in a strong resilient country where people support each other and there is a strong community spirit.
Staying safe, staying alive
Please listen to what we are being told by the Government and stay safe. It’s going to be a long time before we can all go bush, but when we do, we will appreciate it even more than before.
And, if you’re bored at home and want to plan that next trip, have a look at https://www.4x4explorer.co.nz/?aff+2818 and plan that great escape when it’s safe to do so.
Stay safe everyone, respect the rules and see you on the other side!
