30-36 COVID-19 – Summary Week Four

The moment before sunrise

Four weeks in a four-star beachfront resort in the South pacific – it sounds unreal but yet Corona has made it a reality for us. We have farewelled the last guests on 20^th March and moved into the resort the next day, it was a Saturday. The kids are loving it and our biggest decisions during the first couple of weeks were: should we have a swim in the lagoon or the pool?

As parents we obviously worried at night, asking ourselves all sorts of questions about an uncertain future. When New Zealand went into Level 4 we started thinking about our health insurance and how our passports would not allow us to enter a country that would potentially be able to help us during a personal medical crisis. The insurance tried to reassure us that it would be seen on a case to case basis, but PM Ardern seemed pretty determined to keep the borders closed.

While the majority of conversations revolves around our lively hoods and future of our businesses in our expat circle of friends, it seems to be a very different and much healthier approach from our local community. They seem to be focussing on their own communal strengths. Everyone is looking out for each other and almost everyone seems to either go fishing or gardening.

Surprisingly, there is a very happy vibe on the island. Having time for each other, especially after the PM announced the Cook Islands a CCIVID-19 free zone, is wonderful. People feel re-connected and that puts a smile on their face. Now we have to enjoy the moment and get ready for the rebound when governments around the world start easing off the restrictions.

Below is the summary of this week’s blog entries. Thanks for following.

COVID-19 Free Zone!!!

COVID-19 – COVID-19FREE ZONE. It’s official!!! (COVID-19 Free Zone. It’s Official!!!)

On 16^th April the PM Puna has declared the Cook Islands a COVID-19 Free Zone. A big sigh of relief was almost audible around the island of Rarotonga. We had done it; the borders were closed just at the right time and with a lot of discipline and a bit of luck we managed to keep the virus off our shores. Now we are enjoying life in our Corona free bubble. Living the dream in paradise, focussing on strengthening our communities, improving our business and preparing for the economic recovery once New Zealand is opening up their borders again.

Milestone Celebrations at the resort

30 – COVID-19 – Runde Geburtstage sind zum feiern da – Irgendwas ist ja immer (Milestone birthdays need to be celebrated – But then there is always something)

This post discusses the idea of having goals in life, writing a bucket list and taking the time for the important trips in life. A big part of our job at the resort is making those dream vacations of a once a life-time trips to the South Pacific a reality. The majority of our visitors are celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries or birthdays, their recent retirement or simply life! It happens time and again that someone from Europe tells us how they have read Stevenson’s Treasure Island as a kid and have dreamt of one day relaxing in a hammock by the sea on a tropical island. Pure moments of joy when we check our guests into their rooms and they take a look at the lagoon with tears in their eyes because the view is better than they ever imagined. We miss those moments and are now the only guests.

Article in German Newspaper - Kreiszeitung Wesermarsch

31 – COVID-19 – Kreiszeitung Wesermarsch – Auch das Paradies steht still (Kreiszeitung Wesermarsch – Paradise has come to a stand-still)

The local paper in my hometown has conducted an interview with us and invited me to write a weekly column about our time here on the island during COVID-19. Such a nice moment in time and great way of reconnecting with long lost friends from school. My parents are receiving messages from friends and everybody is excited reading about our little paradise in the middle of the South Pacific ocean. What are we doing? Putting Rarotonga and the Cook Islands on the map in Northern Germany😊

The column is published every Tuesday and going into its fifth week.

NZ1961 - Dreamliner taking 74 European passengers to SYD

32 – COVID-19 – Schreibpause – (Writer’s Break – Evacuation Flight)

Published a photo of Air New Zealand’s Dreamliner that evacuated 74 European Tourists on NZ1961. 65 were stranded on Rarotonga and 9 were joining the group and came on a charter flight directly from Samoa to fly back to Europe via SYD, Doha and Frankfurt.

33 – COVID-19 – NZ1961 – Der letzte Flug in die Heimat (NZ1961 – The last flight home)

Picking up on post 32, this entry talks about our sentiment of having waved goodbye to the last plane that could have taken us back home to our families. Technically this is not true because our European passports would allow us to transit on a 10-hour window through New Zealand back to Germany but nevertheless it was an emotional moment. I had scouted the best location for the shot on Friday afternoon and took the whole family to witness the historic take-off.

It was a beautiful moment when the Air New Zealand Dreamliner was taxiing down the runway heading for the seawall in Nikao. The weather was perfect and the colours were popping as the plane turns into the sunlight before taking off direction town, Avarua.

Rocket and his ladies

34 – COVID-19 – La maison Rocket – Unsere kleine Farm (Rocket’s House – Our little farm)

Four weeks ago today, we moved into the resort and have since had an absolutely amazing time as a family. We enjoyed swimming, long walks on the beach collecting glass shards, plastic pieces, we even found used batteries but we had a good daily routine going and really enjoyed each other’s company. Talking to friends and family back home made us also realize how lucky we have been to be here on Rarotonga when the earth pushed the big pause button. We are able to move freely and enjoy being outdoors rather than being confined in a 2-bedroom apartment in the middle of a mayor European city.

Our chicken coop has one rooster (Rocket) and three young hens that have not started the egg production yet but it will come.

Apart from that we have started planting a vegetable garden with Basil, Coriander, Mint, Kumara (sweet potato) beans, sweet corn, cucumber and tomatoes.

Can’t wait to write the omelette story once the chickens start laying some eggs! To be continued and watch this space!

My column about Life on Rarotonga during COVID-19

35 – COVID-19 – Kolumne: Nordenhamer in der Suedsee - Zu Gast im Paradies (Column: A Nordenhamer (my hometown) in the South Seas – Visiting Paradise)

A collage of screenshots from my column as published in the German Newspaper. The column talks about where Rarotonga and the Cook Islands are located and how to get her. Correction, how we used to get here before Corona. It also tells the story of the new reality how today my kids get to enjoy the pool in an adults only 4-star beachfront resort when usually they are not even allowed to play in the reception area. The feedback back home was very positive and I do hope to be seeing some friends making the trip when the borders reopen again!

Next level of peacefulness - Coffee at sunrise - The mug rests on a rock not on coral

36 – COVID-19 – Kaffe am Morgen – Mit Bilderreihe (Morning coffee and picture gallery)

It was one of those magical, perfect Rarotonga sunrises and I was sitting at my desk looking out at the still dark lagoon early in the morning at around 5:30am. Desperately trying to put into words what I was seeing and feeling I just gave up and taking my camera and coffee mug walked into the lagoon to welcome the day. I didn’t waste too many words on that entry and just let the images speak for themselves. We are truly lucky to be here in the Cook Islands.