Jane and Geoff Hindle brought the tropics to their Russell home.
Over the last few days we've been bringing you coverage of what's been going on "out there". Now it's your turn to report to us from your bubbles.
We asked, if you were prepared for lockdown and what your first priorities were, who is in your bubble, what's been keeping you busy, the highlights, lowlights, challenges and future bubble plans.
Here, fellow Northland lockdownees give us a virtual invite inside their bubbles.
Sibling bonding
Sisterly bonding has been among the highlights of Terri Rata's lockdown so far.
Terri's bubble in Kerikeri includes her hubby Jamie and two daughters, whom she captured sharing dinner on the trampoline in front of a picturesque sunset on their 194ha dairy farm this week.
Other highlights have been good weather enabling the family to get outdoors, not having to make school lunches or rushing to get out the door in the morning.
"Our priorities were getting set up online to work from home and online learning for the girls and making sure an exercise routine was put in place [for sanity]," said the Harcourts Bay of Islands marketing manager.
The family have spent the time so far working, schooling, going for long walks and working on the farm, milking and feeding calves.
Terri cites the lowlights as the anxiety of the unknown, along with going to the supermarket and wearing face masks.
"There have definitely been some challenges. Encouraging online learning, anxiety and working from home. Not being able to do stuff freely in our everyday lives which we definitely take for granted."
Their plans for the lockdown extension until Tuesday night, as announced yesterday, are to get through each day as it comes.
Coffee and chaos
It's fair to say Teresa Hill's bubble is chaotic as she tries to work from home with an active 3-year-old and an array of animals.
Her bubble in Glenbervie includes daughter Cameron Hill, their dogs Molly, Bella and Grace, their cat, a foster cat and her parents, who live across the paddock.
"Trying to work full-time while minding a 3-year-old who wants to play – a lot – has been challenging. But it's actually been nice to just have hangs at home with Cam and not have to rush off anywhere or be anywhere."
As well as work and mothering, Teresa has been sorting neglected jobs on the home front and trying to get everyone out in the fresh air for walks – "mostly to tire Cam out – it doesn't work!"
"I've just had to put Cameron in her Elsa costume and Elsa slippers and turn on the 'Let it go' song … "
She cites the lowlights as being unable to go to the gym and eating everything she can get her hands on all day.
One of her first priorities was to make sure she had enough milk for her multiple coffees – a habit she picked up during the last lockdown with the purchase of a new coffee machine.
"In my panic, I now have three two-litre bottles! But I am drinking many, many coffees."
Family bubble bliss
Tasma Aubrey has been enjoying extended family time in lockdown with husband Rob and sons Finn and Gray, although the technology time is a juggle.
She said while one son was stoked all were at home together, the other was worried about missing friends. Balancing work and kids had been tricky and the boys had spent a fair amount of time on electronic devices after Rob had miscalculated an idea on day two, which rewarded one minute of screen time for every weed pulled.
"They earned 300 minutes!
"The kids weren't so keen on weeding today – the iPad is much less appealing after maxing out on it yesterday so we don't have the leverage," she laughed.
"While being on devices for a decent chunk of time means emotions can run a bit high afterwards, the boys love connecting with their mates and playing with them, it helps to make things more fun."
Tasma, who teaches at the Northern Health School, was using this time to catch up with students online.
"I've only been able to catch up with the teenagers in the afternoon with their epic sleep-ins!"
The family had also started reading new books, with Finn reading an entire novel in two days, and the cats and dog had loved the daytime company, with Frank happily adjusting to multiple walks and no longer getting as excited when he saw his lead.
Tasma had also attempted making gluten-free, dairy-free lockdown loaf, which was met with mixed reviews; Rob had made DIY burgers for dinner that went down a treat; and together they had enjoyed a drink on the deck as the sun went down.
"We are trying to be like Jacinda says and all be kind to one another but it's really not too bad in lockdown land!"
Sipping cocktails fireside instead of poolside
What do you do when your combined birthday celebration in Rarotonga is cancelled due to level 4 lockdown? You bring a slice of the tropics into your home.
That's what Russell husband and wife Jane and Geoff Hindle did this week. The couple had organised a 10-day stay three months in advance. They planned to spend their birthdays, which are two days apart, sipping cocktails and reading books poolside. They were due to head to Auckland on Wednesday, Geoff's birthday, for their Thursday flight, arriving on what would still be Geoff's birthday with Rarotonga being almost a day behind. They had planned to sip sunset cocktails in celebration after arriving. Then, the night before leaving, they heard news of the country's move to level 4.
"We were all organised and had made arrangements for the cat and had no food in the house," said Jane, adding that while Geoff was a "little bit grumpy" about the news at first, the next day they regrouped and decided to make the most of it. While Jane dove straight into work, adjusting appointments to the Covid-19 vaccination programme through her involvement with St John, Geoff went about creating a tropical scene at their home.
He gathered the rum, pineapple juice, cocktail glasses and parasols, and cranked the fire that night before they both donned leis.
"Geoff had even gone to the trouble of putting on a Hawaiian shirt!"
Their two-person "party" went for a couple of hours and the next day, for Jane's birthday, she enjoyed a delicious breakfast before they went for a stroll together along the beach, relishing the splendid, albeit slightly chilly, weather that Northland turned on in lieu.
We want to see how you and your bubble are spending your isolation; the funny, the innovative, the quirky, even the mundane and tough times. Send your photos with a brief caption describing who's in the photo, what's happening and who took it. We'll collate the contributions and publish the best in the coming days. We're in this together and together we can do this. Stay safe, stay home and send us your isolation photos. You can send photos to editor@northernadvocate.co.nz with the subject 'lockdown photos'.
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