- Two people returning to New Zealand from overseas documented each day of their mandatory two-week quarantine.
- During their lockdown, they stayed at the four-star Novotel hotel at Auckland International Airport and were served gourmet meals every day.
- The couple should consider themselves lucky; other people on hotel lockdowns have shared experiences of eating scant meals and having limited toiletries.
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A New Zealand couple stuck in a two-week government-mandated quarantine at the four-star Novotel hotel at Auckland International Airport documented each day of their luxurious lockdown, from gourmet meals to supervised walks outside the airport.
The two travelers, who go by the names Chuck and Wilson, created an Instagram account called the thequarantinecanteen_nz where they displayed their envy-worthy meals and daily activities while confined to their hotel.
New Zealand has imposed strict quarantine rules since it closed its borders to all non-residents on March 19. The country has mandated that all residents and travelers entering the country must self-isolate for two weeks, and more recently announced that it would set up a network of 18 hotels in Auckland for those isolating after travel.
Chuck and Wilson entered into isolation at the Novotel Auckland Airport hotel, a luxury hotel just outside the international terminal, on April 11 after flying in from London, according to Stuff.co.nz.
Their first Instagram post documented them eating hot cross buns with butter for breakfast.
On day one, they also documented the sunrise views from their rooms and daily walks outside the airport supervised by aviation security staff.
As the days went on, their meals became more intricate: For dinner on day two, they ate Thai red chicken curry with mango fried rice.
On day three they got Easter treats, including Kit Kat bars and chocolate eggs. On day four, they received a gift of three-ply toilet paper and coffee sachets, alongside a note from the housekeeping staff telling them to stay "warm and healthy."
On day four, the couple said the Novotel had a "real cake problem," and posted pictures of their fridge stocked with baked goods.
"We're not actually eating everything," they wrote in an Instagram story on day four. "There's just too much. It's insane."
For breakfasts, the two were treated with shakshuka, poached eggs, bacon, porridge, and copious amounts of pastries and fresh fruit.
On day seven, they learned that the reason their walks were supervised was because someone under lockdown had tried to run away from the Novotel.
On day eight, they documented eating lentil and rice curry, coleslaw, and red velvet cake for lunch.
Their post featured the hashtags #spoiled and #strugglestreet.
The two were released from lockdown on April 24. In their final post, they expressed the "utmost thanks and appreciation" to the hotel, airport, and the government "for all their hard work to keep NZers safe."
Still, not everyone on hotel lockdowns has shared the same sentiments.
Nicola McCooe, a woman who was quarantined at the upscale Intercontinental hotel in Sydney, Australia, documented scarce meals and limited toiletries.
"It very much feels like we are prisoners and the only thing getting me through is hoping that it will get better," she told 7News earlier this month.
The country is set to begin to ease its lockdown restrictions on April 27, though inter-regional travel remains limited and people have been instructed to stay home if they can.
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