Olivia Shakeshaft, who lives at Clench Common just south of Marlborough, went out to New Zealand after graduating last year with a very good degree in geography from Aberystwyth University and was working as a nanny till she was joined by a friend from university. They bought a camper van to start touring…then came the pandemic. Here is her account of what happened next:
Living out of a van can be a blessing or a curse. Despite being challenging at times, it is settling to know that everything two people own can fit into the dimensions of a 5×2 vehicle. But when the world goes into total lockdown and you’re told you’re unable to leave your home, being in such a confined space with one other person becomes a task.
We received the news on the Tuesday lunchtime, Jacinda announced that New Zealand was going into lockdown. We had 48 hours to find somewhere safe to stay for the initial four week period. Despite being relatively calm, the prospect of being stuck in a van for four weeks and unable to leave was terrifying.
Campsites were closing and places where you could legally park and camp became scarce. Luckily for us, we have some friends from university living in Auckland. As soon as the lockdown was announced they were happy to house two vagabonds. The following morning we made our way to Auckland to camp on their drive for the four week period.
Despite being on the other side of the world and living in a van on someone’s front lawn during a global pandemic, it’s not all as different as it seems. We still wake up in the morning, have some breakfast, catch up on the news, and watch A LOT of television (we’ve gone through all of the Lord of Rings including the Hobbit, Tiger King, and the High School Musical saga).
We’ve been able to keep busy with puzzles and games as well, and have been fortunate enough to be living right next to a park where we can get our daily dose of exercise.
Like everyone else in the world, we’re taking COVID-19 day by day, trying to maintain some sort of normalcy in a world that has been turned on its head.
In general, very few people are breaking the lockdown rules enforced by the New Zealand Government. Jumping into bushes when crossing paths has become the social norm and waving at your neighbours from the porch has become the majority of outside communication.
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