Baby Hiyana's Level 4 Lockdown diary, created by her parents Krunal and Heny Amin. Video / Supplied
We've been scared, tired and stressed. But we've also loved the silence, the time with our kids and partners and the opportunity to slow down. We collected mushrooms, had day spas at home and wrote diaries. Everybody had a story to tell.
At 11.59pm on March 25, when New Zealand went into a nationwide lockdown to fight Covid-19, we stayed home to save lives, venturing out only for essentials. Last week, after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a shift to Level 3 from 11.59pm on April 27, we asked our readers and listeners what they'd learned about themselves and their world from this time in lockdown.
Many thousands of words poured in and these edited responses reflect an extraordinary time in New Zealand's history. What does it look like when a whanau of five million came together? Here are some of your reflections from life in lockdown . . .
I hate cooking more than I hate being stuck in peak hour traffic - Kristin, 36
My four-year-old really does have feelings like adults. She'd tell me how much she misses her grandparents. She'd ask me why no one wanted to see us anymore. I told her the world is feeling a bit unwell and we have to all stay home until it gets better. Now, when she eats her vegetables she tells me she will get really tall and strong so she can make everyone better. And then we can go outside again and see the whole wide world - Afifa
I met this lady at the start of lockdown, that's now permanently at my house. I've learnt that she is my wife and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice she is! - Heinrich
Hamilton artist Roseanne Croucher has painted a small scene from her lockdown walk every two or three days, with 10% of sales to go to a charity of the buyer's choice. Photo / Supplied
I've been doing a small painting every two-three days picturing only what I can see in my neighbourhood and around my home. My main aim was to bring the familiar into a new light and show the beauty around us if we look for it - Roseanne Croucher, Hamilton
Not all things in this world can be bought by money, sometimes it needs our patience and kindness to save lives - Michael
Home schooling is frightening. I am NEVER attempting school again - Brian
Imagine if 20% of the meetings that used to be face-to-face were done by Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts or Webex? This would make a material difference to traffic pressure points in places such as Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga. Perhaps I shouldn't have been, but I have been by pleasantly surprised by the quality of the technology. My AIA Australia board calls on Webex are better quality than going into an office and using videoconferencing facilities in Auckland. I can't be the only one who has had this experience. Let's make the commitment to 20% fewer face-to-face meetings with one in five done using technology. A slower start to the day and fewer cars on the road have brought to the fore the sound of birdsong and a feeling of nesting at home, being safe at home. Luckily I got a new mattress replacing my 25 year old one two days before lockdown and it has been lovely to be snuggled and to be nesting. Helping getting the economy going again by buying products that make our homes feel like a sanctuary with comfortable living areas and bedrooms surely will be a result of a month spent at home. But sadly home hasn't been safe for everyone. From the first evening of lockdown police reported a spike in the reporting of domestic violence and that is just the women who were able to reach out and connect. Sadly the decision to allow alcohol to be sold under level 4 lockdown (which I personally found incomprehensible) will have added to the suffering of some women. NZ Women's Refuge have come up with a fantastic way that we can all help. Purchase safe nights for $20 a night and support women in our community who are not safe at home . . . Finally, for me, I have rediscovered the power of music to lift mood . . . I didn't sleep at all well in the first couple of weeks and listening to music in the evenings completely turned that around. Gosh 70's pop is wonderful! - Theresa Gattung
Luca, 5, and Zara, 7, Nicholas stand outside their home in Whenuapai at dawn to take part in the Anzac Day service under Covid-19 lockdown. Photo / Dean Purcell
I really don't miss junk food like I thought I would - Charmaine
My passion for beer and junk food is a real lifesaver!! - Aaron
I really like fishing - Chrisjan
When it's a matter of life or death for some, life wins every time & it doesn't matter how young or old they are, you cannot swap a life for $ - @Suzyjam
Running is awful, berry cider is good, setting yourself up to work comfortably from home is expensive, and homemade burgers just aren't the same - @Nightwyrm
How much the disability community needs to shout to be heard - @grabyourwheels
Better than a bought one? Sheryl and Brian Farmiloe model homemade face masks. Photo / Supplied
Homemade masks don't look like bought ones. The neighbour's cat is a regular visitor and is good for long conversations. Our son and daughter-in-law have made us feel very loved and have done all our shopping. Husbands are sad when there is no sport on TV - Sheryl and Brian Farmiloe
Halfway through my shop, my brother rang. He had simple words really, along the lines of "weird times aye? You all good?" Transitioning quickly into a simple invite: "Come lockdown at my place, it'll be good". Reluctantly I agreed to his kind invite, full well knowing as soon as he hung up the phone, a flame of our childhood was about to re-ignite. You see, this wasn't just any brotherly relationship, but a pact. A blood oath that whatever happens in life, we're family and we have each other's backs no matter what the cost and no matter what the inconvenience. Because having your grown-ass brother bunk in with you and your whole family for four weeks straight is by definition an inconvenience . . . the whole first week seemed to fly by as our 'bubble' adjusted to the new life in lockdown. Who knew that 10.30am coffee with superwines and 1pm Covid updates on the telly would become paramount priorities in our daily schedules with things like securing the next big contract and making sure kids are at their ballet lesson on time being so distant and in perspective to what the country was facing . . . Second week into lockdown and my brother and I had run out of small talk. It was time to face and talk about some hard truths that often we as Kiwi blokes don't want to acknowledge or we sweep under the carpet thinking that 'feelings' or emotions' might make us look weak. I found in this mess we've come to know as Lockdown, you've got a lot of time. Time to reflect. Time to think. Time to talk. I won't lie, there were a lot of tears that came out that second week of lockdown as my brother and I sought to deal with the past that I was so desperately trying to suppress . . . It was as if we had slayed this Goliath that had stood in front of the future with the simple weapon of talking - Dylan
Getting outside for some fresh air and exercise has been a crucial part of lockdown for Kiwis. Photo / Michael Craig
Talking to a baby via Zoom will make your heart light up - Kirsty
Most of what I normally buy, I don't really need, and what I really need I can't buy anyway - Kevin, 56
The social awkwardness that will come when you tell people you're pregnant after the lockdown, with everyone calling your baby a Corona baby behind your back - Anon
We finally got a very much needed rest and were able to really enjoy our family time without interferences or being guilt-tripped into feeling the obligation to meet up with our extended families and friends. We will never again have this "stayhomecation" - Anon
Bring on electric cars and ask yourself whether you really need to board a plane to attend that business meeting? - Kris, 53
Now my two daughters, aged 5 and 8, never hesitate to say 'I love you Dad'. Since the lockdown I have spent so much time with them alone at home (while their mother went to work at the local medical centre). Getting to know them, talking to them, having lunch with them, inventing and playing games, watching birds, running in the backyard, having sleepovers with them (my favourite, having ice cream with them in bed) . . . so easy to find joy in your life - Aarif
Tamaki Drive sunset. Photo / Supplied
I took this photo driving home on the first weekend of Level 4 lockdown, after working a night shift in the Emergency Department at Auckland City Hospital . . . the dawning of a new day, with its beautiful far reaching rays, signified hope for our future – Patricia
Appreciate more, complain less. We are safe in our homes. What about people who don't have a home? Some don't have a fridge or a pantry to say "what can I eat?" This thought should be with us all times even if we aren't in lockdown - Nasreen
It took all the skill in the world to maintain the extramarital affair - Anon
A huge shout out to all the volunteers monitoring Waitangi during lockdown. It has been reassuring to know these people have been totally committed to keeping our area safe and Covid-19 free - Jaydee
Samuel (aged seven) started a diary. Photo / Supplied
We took walks together as a family and spent ages skimming stones. We collected blackberries and said hello to those walking passed us. We learnt to slow down and to not rush through each day on autopilot. We realised how much time there was in an afternoon when we weren't rushing from school pick up, to activities then dashing home to scramble a dinner together, do homework and get the kids to bed on time. Now we go to bed later and wake when we wake. We saved leftovers, used vegetables past their best before date and made meals together. We failed at sourdough bread multiple times but we can make a mean sourdough pancake batter. We realised how lucky we were to live in New Zealand compared to pretty much every other country in the world. Jacinda has made a fantastic mother hen to this nation in a time of so much uncertainty. We seem to tolerate each other's quirks a bit more and to know when we needed our own time. And we laughed - real big belly laughs. We played lots and LOTS of cards. We couldn't believe how many birds we could hear now the planes and helicopters of Queenstown were grounded. And when we watched Jacinda and Nigel Latta say short-term increases in screen time while in the bubble wouldn't harm the kids, we spent that whole day in bed binge watching Ozark while the kids watched their TV shows in the lounge - Lauren Major and family (including Samuel, aged 7), Queenstown
We can choose to bring light into times of darkness through artistic creation and the sharing of our fears and vulnerabilities. We can find something to be grateful for every day, even if some days it feels impossible - Kira Dune, Dunedin
I learned the value of the simple life, being with my family, enjoying exercising together, walking and riding bikes in our beautiful country - Laura, 43
I need more winter leisure wear clothes. I'm really, really glad I bought a proper little barista machine with grinder before the lock down. I miss my Mum and Dad - Petra
Alone, not lonely. We are not the first generation to endure a lockdown but our circumstances make it a great deal easier to endure than in earlier times. We live in a time of easy communication, when we can correspond instantly with family and friends wherever they are to share our experiences and opinions. I am giving myself permission to take the time to read, go on virtual sunrise and sunset safari rides, notice dewdrops on fallen autumn leaves and watch the lemons on my tree slowly ripen . . . There is a calmness and acceptance of the situation, and confidence that our resilience and determination will prevail as experts collaborate across the globe to make a vaccine available to us all - Helen
Lockdown Day Spa. Photo / Supplied
I decided to really enjoy spending time with my daughters. So we have had a fashion show, a beauty spa, have camped in the yard, played hide and seek, made a lot of crafts, and I taught my little girl (aged five) how to ride a bike without training wheels too! My 15-year-old and I decided to write a novel together, a post apocalyptic dystopian novel loosely based on recent events . . . what a great opportunity to bond with my girls - Kimberly Harpur
For the first time in 45 years of marriage, we had time to spend together without the social interaction of others. We walked, read and cycled. We had perhaps a little more wine than we should have but at our age, who cares! - Trish
Golf courses are beautiful places to go for a walk. How could they be opened up to the public more for walking after lockdown? - Anon
I see my supermarket trips very differently now. It's ok to wait a little longer in the line - we are all in this together! The world is going through this together and I don't want to be the reason another human feels sad. It's hard to admit, but before the Coronavirus, I only really cared about the feelings of my immediate bubble and less about strangers - Cheryl
I learned that I really hate my job now. After 34 years of flogging my body in the construction industry chasing the almighty dollar for me and developers I've had enough. I've taken this time to focus on me and my children, applied for jobs out of the industry and my body feels great and my mind is uncluttered. I'm so looking forward to a better, slower future - Anon
A house on Titirangi Rd in West Auckland displays a "Kia Kaha" banner during the lockdown. Photo / Alex Burton
