Whanganui locals across the globe adjusting to life during Covid-19

Over the past month we've heard from Whanganui ex-pats around the globe in various stages of Covid-19 enforced lockdown. Mike Tweed catches up with them again to see how they're getting on.

Rox Lloyd, who is currently "stuck" in Benalmadena, Spain, said she had been "pretty much alone for two months".

"I guess I've seen other people at the supermarket, but that doesn't really count," Lloyd said.

"It's been quite rough, and I didn't expect it to be this hard to be honest."

Lloyd said she had been studying Spanish and French during the lockdown, as well as "reading code".

"I've been learning how to make a web-mapping application, which is a lot of fun, and I'm also looking for jobs in the UK because that's where I'll be heading as soon as restrictions have been lifted."

Having previously exercised in the underground carpark of her apartment building, Lloyd said she was now able to run on the beach, as well as sunbathe.

"It's getting into summer here, so having a little bit more freedom has been amazing."

"There are still police everywhere, but no one seems to be doing anything wrong so they leave us alone."

Irene Wolmarans and her wife Abigail Marthinusen were visiting family in South Africa when the entire country entered lockdown, and Wolmarans said the couple were maintaining regular contact with family, friends, and employers in New Zealand to "soften the blow of absence".

"The army is in full force and masks are now mandatory at all times when outside of your home," Wolmarans said.

"We're allowed to exercise between 6 to 9am at least, and if you're lucky, you get to order McDonald's for contactless delivery before the app crashes."

The couple, who have lived in Whanganui since 2016, are still waiting on confirmation about when and if they're allowed to return to New Zealand.

"There's still a bit of radio silence on our situation from Immigration NZ, but hopefully with this [Covid-19 Immigration Amendment] bill currently being put into proposal we will have a bit more clarity on any window of opportunity to return home to NZ," Wolmarans said.

"We're both extremely impressed and proud of NZ in their victory over Covid, and if our couple of months away from home helped in flattening the curve it was a small sacrifice in the bigger scheme of things."

Brodie White and Peter Mangan left Whanganui with their band Sun and the Wolf (previously The Have) in 2008 to continue their music careers in Berlin, Germany. Now, 12 years later, they have spent the past two months in lockdown together in the city.

White, now a teacher as well as a musician, said students had returned to the Berlin Cosmopolitan School where he works, and it had been "a bit of a mission" to make sure they adhered to social distancing rules.

"I think they were all just really excited to see one another again," White said.

"Only 11 children are allowed in a classroom at one time, and I've had to yell 'abstand' (distance) more times than I ever thought possible.

"It's been a steep learning curve for everyone, let's just put it that way, but hopefully, we're slowly creeping towards normality."

Mangan owns 8MM Bar in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin and said he'd be able to open up again next week.

"The news came in today that from the 15th of May, bars, and restaurants can open, but we have to close at 10pm and there must be a 1.5-metre distance between all the guests," Mangan said.

"There'll be a bit of improvisation for sure, and we'll have to offer table service I think, but it's a step in the right direction.

"I can't see us returning to complete normal until next year, to be honest."

Paige Mailman, who up until the Covid-19 pandemic was working in the travel industry in Perth, said she had been stood down from her job "until international travel resumes".

When I last talked to you [The Whanganui Chronicle] I was a bit worried because at that stage there wasn't any financial support for Kiwis over here," Mailman said.

"I guess there was quite a bit of a backlash about the way Kiwis were being treated, and the Australian government introduced something called the job keeper, which means I can get a liveable wage each week until September."

Mailman said Perth had been lucky to have "so few cases of Covid-19".

"Basically, all of the cases in Western Australia have come off the cruise ships, and the fact we're relatively isolated has been a blessing in disguise."

Australia had been "following New Zealand's lead" when it came to Covid-19 restrictions, Mailman said.

"We've been able to get takeaway coffee and go to the beach the whole way through the pandemic, and I dread to think what could have happened if there'd been a big outbreak here in Perth."

Mike Tweed
Whanganui Chronicle 9/5/20