New Zealand is two days into a four-week lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. The only shops open for the next month are supermarkets, pharmacies and banks, and many of us are realising there’s a few things we wished we’d got before stores closed. Zoe Madden-Smith asked a bunch of people what their final purchase was, and what they regret not buying before midnight Wednesday.
In the days leading up to the lockdown, stores were full of people grabbing their last essentials. It’s a stark comparison to the airy streets today. My last excursion was a mad dash to an art store, where I bought brushes, pens, notepads and paint to (hopefully) keep me sane.
My dad’s last trip was to Glen Garry’s to stock up on booze, my aunty loaded up on play dough and my sister and her boyfriend braved Bunnings to buy some paint to finally fix up our fence (if we ever get that bored).
Here’s how eight other people spent their final day of capitalist freedom.
Robbie Turner, 18, student at Auckland University who’s isolating at his parents’ house in Pt Chev, Auckland.
What was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
“Maccas. I was gonna make food at home but then I was like, well, shit, I'm not gonna be able to have maccas for a month or so. So I’m going to buy some Maccas while I still can.”
What is one thing you wish you had bought but now it's too late?
“Fatimas! [an iconic Auckland kebab store]. Some more food.”
Anything in particular from Fatimas?
“Just a pita or some koftas.”
You could buy those frozen tater tots from the supermarket and get some aioli to recreate it?
“Yeaah! That actually might be a shout. I might just try that.”
Sofia Wolf, 23, a teacher in Glen Eden, currently isolating in Grey Lynn, Auckland.
What was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
“Oh my gosh, I bought so much stuff to do projects. I bought yarn to knit myself a scarf, clay to make earrings, some screen printing stuff. I just thought what the hell am I gonna do if I don't have a project to keep me occupied?”
What is one thing you wish you had bought but now it's too late?
“I feel like I won’t know until I need it. Oh, I know! Skin care products. I really wanted to buy some Trilogy ones so I could do a nice skincare routine because I won't be wearing makeup. I really wanted to pamper myself, but I forgot to buy that!”
Ellen Hacket, 22, bootcamp instructor, and her boyfriend Derek Tieku, 25, football player and coach, isolating together in Grey Lynn, Auckland.
What was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
“The last thing we bought was dog food. We get it from Raw Essentials in Grey Lynn and they weren't sure if they were going to stay open. We could only fit one packet in our freezer, so if we run out, we run out. But at least we had some for the rest of the week.”
What is one thing you wish you had bought but now it's too late?
Ellen: “Ummm...”
Derek: “Skipping rope.”
Ellen: “That’s not helpful Derek.”
It’s hard to know because we are only one day in, we don’t know what we’ve forgotten yet.
Ellen: “Yeah, I don’t know, I feel like I have a lot of stuff.”
Derek: “Skipping rope.”
Ellen: “Okay that is your answer Derek. This is my answer. I wish I had some -”
Derek: “Skipping rope.”
Ellen: “Derek that is your answer! I had some free dumbbells that I could have picked up for my work. I forgot to pick them up and now they're sitting there collecting dust while I could have been using them.”
Can you makeshift some?
Ellen: “I was thinking I'm gonna get some milk bottles and fill them up with dirt or sand or something and then at least it’s weighty.”
Hot tips, thank you. Okay Derek, what was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
Derek: “Petrol, because I had to drive here from Hamilton.”
And what was the thing that you were saying that you wish you'd bought?
Derek: “Oh a skipping rope for my workout while stuck indoors. And ice cream.”
You can still buy ice cream from the supermarket.
Derek: “Oh yeah true. You can probably still buy skipping ropes to be honest.”
Ellen: “I don't know who sells skipping ropes right now but I don't think you can by skipping rope. Sorry.”
Derek: “Oh.”
Hannah Rayneau, 22, cafe manager, isolating in her flat in Grey Lynn, Auckland
What was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
“It was fruit to be honest, we stopped on the side of the road in Westmere. There was this little guy selling fruit out of his truck. We got some blueberries, tomatoes and some avo. Quite a nice little bargain actually, good $5 number.”
What is one thing you wish you had bought but now it's too late?
“I do wish I went to Geoff's Emporium and got a couple of beads to make something. Top up the craft cupboard, you know.”
Daryian Teei, 30, florist, isolating with his girlfriend Hannah in Grey Lynn, Auckland
What was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
“Ummmm. Oh, I know what it was. It was some tech screws to help put up a bracket to hang up my TV.”
What is one thing you wish you had bought but now it's too late?
“I wish I had bought some seed raising mix so I could get my little babies going. I went to Bunnings and they only have four packets of seeds left, some marigold, some beans and some other random shit, so I got that. We found a potting mix, but it's not a seedling mix. You want that for your good good soil, you know?”
Zoe Stowers, 23, student at Auckland University, isolating in Ponsonby, Auckland
What was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
“The last thing I bought was tart cherry juice from the pharmacy.”
Why do you need tart cherry juice?
“Because it's got melatonin in it so that I'll sleep peacefully and it's meant to be good for stress.”
What is one thing you wish you had bought but now it's too late?
“The only thing I wish I bought was vitamin C because I also tried to buy that from the pharmacy but they ran out so I only got tart cherry juice.”
Savvy Beams, 23, lives in Auckland but is isolating on her parents’ dairy farm in Kaiaua, Waikato.
What was the last thing you bought before lockdown?
“I bought the Go-To Face Hero oil. Because I ran out and I need it for my face and my sanity.”
What is one thing you wish you had bought but now it's too late?
“More vegan Trumpets.”