How incredibly fortunate we are. We magically started our next chapter of life in one of the few countries that has been able to successfully control the COVID outbreak thus far. Strong leadership, belief in science, a community-minded citizenry and a people who are used to being the underdog taking on great challenges, all combined to make New Zealand’s response “hard and fast” and supported by the overwhelming majority of the population.
With a stringent lockdown for 5 weeks, then 2 weeks of only slightly reduced stringency (people called Level 3 “Level 4 with takeaway”), NZ has the transmission rate down well below zero, has apparently eliminated community transmission, and is ready and able to test extensively as well as contact trace every new case.
With that, we were able to move to Level 2, which is almost back to normal. No gatherings of more than 10 and no bars open yet, but all other businesses are allowed to open with appropriate distancing and hygiene measures. It also means that domestic travel can resume.
As we look around the world, we feel extraordinarily grateful that our dumb luck placed us in this enviable position and we are overwhelmed with gratitude to the country and people of New Zealand for their response to the pandemic and for hosting us in these tumultuous times. We loved this country and her people before, but now we feel an even more exceptional bond and heartfelt admiration for their spirit.
Our good fortune extended to include our personal hosts who, without thinking twice, provided us with a safe and comfortable beach house for as long as we needed it, allowing us to settle in and wait out the lockdown with no worries about where to live.
The day the restrictions were lifted, we finally got to meet this lovely and kind family that will live forever in our memories of this global bookmark in time. With trepidation, we ventured out to a restaurant to interact with people other than our 2-person bubble and ended up having a wonderful evening. And although no bonus was needed, we also overcame the anxiety barrier and can now cautiously, and from a distance, take part in society again.
And the next morning, after 8 weeks in one spot, enjoying the same beach every day, we got in our car and drove away!
We arrived last night to our idyllic new home on the bay and listened to the sound of the waves and perhaps a kiwi bird. Today we went somewhere for fun, somewhere new, somewhere to discover together for the first time in two months and it was joyous. I had forgotten just how much exploration feeds my soul.
What’s next for us? That’s still a tough one to answer. From now until mid-July, we know. We will continue enjoying New Zealand, while feeling guilty for our freedom and relative health safety compared to friends and family around the world and mourning the rising death tolls and economic hardships. We’ll contribute to New Zealand’s devastated tourism economy in our own small way.
Beyond that, we are waiting to hear from immigration whether our visa will be extended for 3 months (most likely) or 9 months (a long shot exception I requested due to the closed borders) or not at all (hopefully the most remote possibility.) Stay tuned.
Oh, and catching up on the blog of course! We did make progress and should be up to date soon.
