The Magner whānau, (from left) Anais, Gerry, Tarquin and Simone. Photo / Simone Magner
The Magner whānau, (from left) Anais, Gerry, Tarquin and Simone. Photo / Simone Magner
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New Zealand has survived its first week in isolation but for some families, it hasn't been much different to other weeks. There are those in the Bay of Plenty who choose to live in isolation, off the grid. Journalist Leah Tebbutt takes a look at how life has changed forthose isolating in isolation.
The views are spectacular, the land bountiful - it's Simone Magner's slice of paradise.
Magner, a Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto descendant, has been living on the crest of Ohakana Island in Whakatāne for the better part of two decades with her husband Gerry and two children.
It's a house totally off-grid, a lifestyle Magner chose, and now with Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the world, she is more thankful than ever for the blessings she has.
With both her children studying abroad, Magner made arrangements for them to come home, which meant going into isolation early - this is their third week.
But it was the new dynamic of the household that had been the biggest adjustment.
"It did take us at least a week to come to turn with the changes, but now we are all together and we are just getting on with it.
"But once you get over the initial change and realise this is my reality now I then had a sense of relief that this place is really safe and we can easily live off here, we really are sustainable."
The view from the Magner whānau home on Ohakana Island. Photo / Simone Magner
Magner said roughly every three days they needed to restock milk and perishables but their freezer was stocked as normal, something they had done since they built their home due to having to cross Ōhiwa harbour and go on to the mainland to get close to a shop.
While the Magner family are learning how to live together again it has brought blessings in the form of memories as a whānau.
"We are doing a lot of things, like making the most of this time to clear out the land.
"They are those really hard jobs but now we have two other sets of hands to help us. And we are doing it all together."
The house is off the grid and run by solar power and a back-up battery. Photo / Supplied
With odd jobs lying around they have never been able to achieve, Magner said she was feeling more accomplished than ever.
Magner said it was about embracing the situation and putting aside the disappointments, but she understood that wouldn't be easy for everyone.
"A mental tool I used to use is visualising something I was going to look forward to. It used to calm my mind a lot but I have been finding it hard to do that in this time."
Now, she's scaling down, finding enjoyment in achieving the smaller, more immediate jobs and things.
"The bigger things that are out of your control and reach, they can wait."
Vicki Wills lives on Mōtītī Island and has says life is running as normal. Photo / Supplied
That's exactly the advice of Vicki Wills who lives 22km off the Bay of Plenty coast, on Mōtītī Island - and hasn't been back on the mainland in nearly six months.
Two years ago she decided to make the move and live full-time at the island, which meant going back to basics and relying on the online supermarket shop to get her through.
"It was a little bit of a transition but then I knew what I was getting myself into."
It was the moments in the middle of winter when the days were short, and the rain put a dampener on things that it became hard, she said, but Wills learnt how to turn it around.
"There was a little bit of 'can I do this?', but each little accomplishment and each new thing I learnt made it really empowering. Like learning how to use a chainsaw.
"It just makes you feel so good, you are doing your things and living your life. It is knowing that you are okay by yourself, and realising you don't need anything else to survive."
Planes such as this one are ensuring residents have a constant source of food by delivering their online supermarket shop. Photo / File
Wills has not been back to the mainland since October last year - her supermarket shop would be delivered to the Island Air Charters hangar then flown out with the daily flights to and from the island, but now even that had slowed down.
"They are only doing three flights a week which is just freight," Wills said.
"They have to make it viable so we have to pay for a seat now - which I totally understand."
But aside from that Wills said nothing else had changed much, it's life as normal.
Mōtītī Island is about 22km off the Bay of Plenty coast and is home to avocado orchards. Photo / File
The Mōtītī Island Lodge run by Wills, which gave guests an insight into island living, has closed for the meantime while the country remains in lockdown but it has given her an opportunity to get on with her own jobs, she said.
"It is actually nice to not have to run around after people, which I enjoy, but it's like having a little holiday from that job.
"There is always so much to do here, people think I just sit in the hammock and read a book but there is always wood to gather, because I light the fire every day, or mowing."
But all in all, life still remains pretty sweet, she said.
