Rawnsley wiped away tears as his decision was announced.
Willis, 36, and Rawnsley, 26, sat side-by-side as they appeared via audio-video feed at Papakura District Court. It was their first court appearance for the charges.
The pair were charged on September 22 with failing to comply with a Covid-19 health order, which carries a maximum sentence of up to six months' prison and a $4000 fine.
Police approached Willis and Rawnsley in Wānaka on the afternoon of Saturday, September 11, after receiving a tip through the Covid-19 online compliance tool a day earlier. The two were allowed to leave Auckland for Hamilton, despite the strict lockdown at the time, because of their essential worker status afforded by Willis' agriculture business selling hay. They did so on Thursday, September 9.
They were not, however, permitted under the lockdown rules to then take a commercial flight to Queenstown and continue on in a hired car for Wānaka, authorities have said.
Prosecutor Natalie Walker argued during the hearing that the couple's actions were carefully planned, with the first ticket booked within hours of an announcement that Auckland would stay in lockdown but the rest of New Zealand would move to alert level 2.
She pointed to a text message Willis sent to an associate after learning police had been to his Auckland home.
"They came looking for me at the farm," he wrote.
"Someone has narced."
She suggested that a starting point of prison was appropriate, but after taking into consideration factors such as remorse and their guilty pleas, an end sentence of community service would suffice.
Their lawyer, Rachael Reed QC, told the judge that their remorse "has not changed one iota".
"They will regret making this trip for the rest of their lives," Reed said. "They understand that by their actions they have tarnished their own images."
But Reed also took aim at people who have lashed out at her clients on social media over recent months, sending messages and physical threats, she said, not only to the couple but to their families and Rawnsley's former employer.
"The behaviour of those who did so was quite simply disgusting," Reed said.
She asked that Willis not receive a community service requirement because he is so busy trying to keep his business afloat - due to the bad publicity he received and the setbacks many small business owners experienced in the lockdown. His travel exemption was revoked after the trip, she explained, so Willis has had the extra burden of having to pay for delivery of the hay to keep his business going.
After Willis and Rawnsley were approached by police in September, they initially fought to keep secret their names, as well as the fact that Willis is the son of District Court Judge Mary-Beth Sharp. Reed asked for an unusual emergency hearing to seek suppression before her clients were charged.
But the suppression lasted just 24 hours before the couple decided not to pursue the matter with the High Court. Instead they issued an apology.
"The decision that we took to travel to Wānaka last week was completely irresponsible and inexcusable," the couple said at the time.
"We are deeply sorry for our actions and would like to unreservedly apologise to the Wānaka community, and to all the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, for what we did.
"We understand that strict compliance is required to stamp out Covid-19 from our country. We have let everyone down with our actions, and we wholeheartedly apologise."
Judge Davidson referred to that apology on Tuesday as he considered their sentence. He also referred to the "media firestorm" that erupted, describing it as like nothing he had seen in his 40-year career.
Mainstream media accounts were for the most part responsible, he said, but he lashed out at one media outlet that sent a photographer outside the couple's home as the hearing took place. Social media bloggers, meanwhile, were "out of control", the judge suggested.
"Both of you have been victims of savage social media attacks," he said. "Clearly, this had affected both of you."
He noted an affidavit from Willis stating that it was his idea to go to Wānaka and that Rawnsley had to be convinced to go too. But she didn't appear to take much convincing, Judge Davidson responded.
The judge described Willis' characterisation of the trip as a last-minute decision as "hard to accept", adding that no other conclusion than pre-meditation "is rationally possible".
Willis also showed evidence of deceit by giving the wrong address to a car rental company and showing his unrelated exemption papers to a police officer in Wānaka, he found. But it's also clear both defendants are apologetic and will continue to suffer as a result of their bad decision making, he said.
Tuesday's "first appearance" hearing for Willis and Rawnsley was initially set for October 14. But - as has happened with most cases in recent months involving defendants who aren't in custody - the matter has was delayed repeatedly as Auckland's lockdown dragged on.
Adding to the complication of setting a court date has been the involvement of Judge Davidson, who is based in Wellington but was appointed to oversee the case to avoid any conflicts of interest given the profession of Willis' mother.
"This is not a priority proceeding," Judge Davidson wrote in separate minutes announcing delays in October and November. "The mere fact of media interest does not elevate the matter to a priority case."
By delaying the hearing to December, after the traffic light system was put in place, the judge would be more easily able to travel to Auckland for the hearing, he also noted last month.
The couple were initially set to appear at court in person for today's hearing.
But in a minute released last week citing red traffic light protocols, Judge Davidson said he would allow Willis and Rawnsley to appear via audio-video feed while the prosecutor and defence counsel appeared in person.
The judge declined applications by multiple media outlets to take photos or video of the couple during the hearing.
