https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LI9ksiv3Zs63Ti81uWmcA?si=3jiaa4J7STeQYLG-edHWuw&dl_branch=1 _A5A8475

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LI9ksiv3Zs63Ti81uWmcA?si=3jiaa4J7STeQYLG-edHWuw&dl_branch=1 _A5A8454

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LI9ksiv3Zs63Ti81uWmcA?si=3jiaa4J7STeQYLG-edHWuw&dl_branch=1 _A5A8473

In many ways lockdown in a private bay with the boat, only access is business as usual and luxury compared to what most people have to endure. Paul contracts remotely in IT for Air NZ and usually flies over to Auckland every 5-6 weeks to touch base in person. Anne Marie works part-time for Orama, largely remotely, but usually pops over (commuting by boat) once or twice a week. So not a huge difference. The challenge for us is getting our food supplies. We are considered part of the Orama community for catering purposes and whilst we cook for ourselves we pay for and obtain our supplies from Orama. Whilst the Orama staff are fantastic and loving, we feel vulnerable relying on others to interpret lists, pack and deliver to the wharf for us to collect. It’s hard not being in control of our food! That said, it’s a small thing to have to deal with and the benefits of our seclusion (we are both introverts) vastly outweigh any negative aspects by far. This lockdown is very different from the first lockdown in March/April 2020 where we were both full time employees of Orama, a place where income is solely from accommodation and catering. There was huge uncertainty for ourselves and for the staff and volunteers at Orama. We were on the leadership team and had to navigate community needs and anxieties remotely and also relay messages from the Trust Board as they wound down operations. It was a pretty horrible time, so this lockdown is a pleasant change. _A5A8446

In many ways lockdown in a private bay with the boat, only access is business as usual and luxury compared to what most people have to endure. Paul contracts remotely in IT for Air NZ and usually flies over to Auckland every 5-6 weeks to touch base in person. Anne Marie works part-time for Orama, largely remotely, but usually pops over (commuting by boat) once or twice a week. So not a huge difference. The challenge for us is getting our food supplies. We are considered part of the Orama community for catering purposes and whilst we cook for ourselves we pay for and obtain our supplies from Orama. Whilst the Orama staff are fantastic and loving, we feel vulnerable relying on others to interpret lists, pack and deliver to the wharf for us to collect. It’s hard not being in control of our food! That said, it’s a small thing to have to deal with and the benefits of our seclusion (we are both introverts) vastly outweigh any negative aspects by far. This lockdown is very different from the first lockdown in March/April 2020 where we were both full time employees of Orama, a place where income is solely from accommodation and catering. There was huge uncertainty for ourselves and for the staff and volunteers at Orama. We were on the leadership team and had to navigate community needs and anxieties remotely and also relay messages from the Trust Board as they wound down operations. It was a pretty horrible time, so this lockdown is a pleasant change. _A5A8442

DJI_0427

My name is Jacinda and I am an Australian that went rouge and crossed the Tasman Ocean mid 2021 in a Boeing 747. I got stranded in a not-so-tropical Oasis on the northern end of Great Barrier Island where I spent my August 2021 Auckland Central lockdown. This lockdown has been very mentally easy compared to my first lockdown. During the first initial lockdown I had just returned home from Hillary Outdoors on Great Barrier Island to Brisbane, Australia as there were very real prospects of loss of work for many months to come in the outdoor education industry. Luckily for me, I quickly picked up work as a Water Resources Engineer (my alter ego) in a government organisation and began my transition to working in solitude online.. with a team I didn’t know at all. It was a rude culture shock.. uprooting my life from living in a free world on a pristine/remote island surrounded by dolphins, and bioluminescence right outside your door to a city where people were always to busy to say hello and you could hardly sleep at night because the cars hooned down your street at every hour of the night/morning.. it was clearly the way that the wild men of Brisbane would woo to the wonderful women in hope to produce offspring that will carry on their hooning habits. As you already picked up, during the previous lockdowns I lived in a metropolitan city centre. What you did not know is that I returned home to my mums house to the news that she had NHL. She lives alone and generally lives a very busy corporate lifestyle. Her chronic disease caused a lot of fear and distress during the period. I worked a Nine to Five job and had lots of flexibility around that.. I was able to leave home to exercise with one friend, and I could continue to work from home through Microsoft teams. My work week days would consist of waking up at 4am, riding 40km-60km on the Brisbane river loop, 5 fingers and other famous Brisbane bike tracks. Return home, have breakfast and kick into the day online constantly talking to 5 other online people that I had never met in human before. Much time had passed and a few lock downs later I returned to Great Barrier Island to work. In August 2021 New Zealand went into another lockdown due to an outbreak of the Delta variant of the virus. This time I was mentally prepared.. we had done lockdowns 4 times before. Seemed like a normal part of life now. I stayed within the Orama Oasis houses in Arthurs bay. I knew once lockdown was over Hillary Outdoors would have work on again. Our back yard was huge. We literally were bordered by the ocean from our back yard. There was no hoons zooming past out isolated patch of houses. I had a bubble of 5 wonderful work colleagues around me with many ideas to keep us entertained though out the days. I was able to learn some new photography skills from one of my colleagues and spend time trying to master the art. The most challenging part of this round of lock downs is that New Zealand had more stringent guidelines on how far you are allowed to leave your home for exercise. I found this challenging in the beginning, until I got creative with running up hills, and dragging tires around the valley! This lockdown makes me feel like I get some forced time to settle down and rest. Soak in the beauty of the nature surrounding me. Learn some new skills. In addition, I also felt quite locked up and at times found myself being forced to be creative to try and use my time wisely. I find the social disconnection due to the isolated nature of the island challenging. I’ve tried to set myself small goals to complete each day, to do some exercise each day, and to make sure I talk to each person in my bubble each day. I also rely on my close friends from Brisbane to reach out too and connect with during the lockdown times

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How are you finding lock down compared to the others in the past? It’s much easier to accept this time round. The previous lockdown felt sudden and confronting. I had been travelling across the country, through India and Nepal following a path of spontaneous adventure. One week after arriving back in New Zealand, the country went into level 4 lockdown for a long, tedious month. It certainly stopped me in my tracks. I flowed into some needed self-reflection, unpacking and pondering which came from being stationary for the first time in a while. This time round is far more settling. I’ve been living and working on Aotea for the past 4 months. It hardly feels like I’m stuck between for walls. Living on the seaside, with my awesome bubble of people. My feet are no way as itchy! How are you feeling about lockdown? Grateful. I’m stuck on an island, bubbling with inspiring, creative people! What are you doing to manage your time? Is motivation or any social disconnection issue? I feel connected! A lot of my time is spent simply observing the environment and its beautifulness. Our bubble workouts, movie nights and hangs add fun to to each day manages creeping cabin fever levels. There’s certainly been some slow days, dreaming of summer and the adventures to be had but as far as lockdown goes, we’ve got it good! _A5A9548-Edit

How are you finding lock down compared to the others in the past? It’s much easier to accept this time round. The previous lockdown felt sudden and confronting. I had been travelling across the country, through India and Nepal following a path of spontaneous adventure. One week after arriving back in New Zealand, the country went into level 4 lockdown for a long, tedious month. It certainly stopped me in my tracks. I flowed into some needed self-reflection, unpacking and pondering which came from being stationary for the first time in a while. This time round is far more settling. I’ve been living and working on Aotea for the past 4 months. It hardly feels like I’m stuck between for walls. Living on the seaside, with my awesome bubble of people. My feet are no way as itchy! How are you feeling about lockdown? Grateful. I’m stuck on an island, bubbling with inspiring, creative people! What are you doing to manage your time? Is motivation or any social disconnection issue? I feel connected! A lot of my time is spent simply observing the environment and its beautifulness. Our bubble workouts, movie nights and hangs add fun to to each day manages creeping cabin fever levels. There’s certainly been some slow days, dreaming of summer and the adventures to be had but as far as lockdown goes, we’ve got it good! _A5A9552

DJI_0426

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