Third-time lucky for Cape couple stuck in New Zealand

TALI FEINBERG

And, just when they thought they were to be repatriated, their plans fell through. This happened twice. On the third attempt, they finally managed to get on a long and winding flight home thanks to the efforts of the South African high commissioner in Australia, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, formerly a member of parliament and the minister of tourism.

Their trip began exactly three months ago, when they left Cape Town on 1 March, landing in Auckland on 3 March. “At that time, we weren’t worried as the coronavirus was still mainly in China and a bit in Europe,” says Wilfred, businessman and owner of The Stingray Group. They spent the next few weeks touring North and South Island until their coach tour company abruptly cancelled the last few days of their tour as lockdown loomed.

“We were supposed to fly out of New Zealand on the evening of 24 March. The coach tour stopped on 21 March. We were diverted back to Christchurch, and confirmed that our flight was going ahead on 24 March. However on the morning of 24 March, we heard it had been cancelled,” says Wilfred.

The couple realised they were stuck, and expected to stay in Christchurch for a few weeks. They had one day to get their affairs in order as New Zealand was going into lockdown at midnight on 26 March, and the shops would already be closed that day.

First they had to find a place to stay, and they moved into a new hotel that offered self-catering apartments. Then, they had to sort out their medication. “I knew Wilfred’s medication would run out, so we asked our South African pharmacist to write a script that we could fill in Christchurch. However, the pharmacy would accept a script only from a New Zealand doctor, so we had to rush to find one,” says Marie. “We had also brought no winter clothes with us so we had to buy those as the South Island gets very cold.

After sorting out accommodation, warm clothing, a doctor, and finding a pharmacy, the couple hunkered down with the rest of New Zealand. Both in their 70s, Wilfred began to worry about the ramifications of being stuck in a foreign country and contracting coronavirus. “It made me feel claustrophobic and agitated,” he says. Eventually that worry faded, and the couple developed a routine as they waited out the lockdown.

“The days went quickly. There was a window of time from about 18:30 to 23:00 where we could call our family and friends in South Africa, and when I would have a daily Zoom meeting with my office,” says Wilfred. They had appointments with their biokineticist from South Africa – at 22:00 his time – to do exercise classes with them. The couple also took regular walks. They connected with a bookstore, ordering books that they could collect from the door.

“Meanwhile, Pesach was coming. We tried to find a rabbi which was very difficult, and there were no matzah or Pesachdik products in the shops,” says Wilfred. “The day before Pesach, we went out and when we returned, there was a parcel of matzah and a bottle of kosher wine for us at reception. It had been delivered by Chabad in Christchurch.” They had a seder on Zoom with family in Australia.

During this time, the South African embassy in New Zealand wasn’t helping them find a way home. Joining the Home Away from Home social-media platforms, they saw how other South Africans stuck in New Zealand were struggling. “Our situation wasn’t a burden,” says Wilfred. However, they did need to get back.

Their first opportunity to do so was on a private charter plane that was supposed to fly Brisbane-Auckland-Sydney-Denpasar[Bali]-Jakarta-Johannesburg. However, it wasn’t filled, and was therefore cancelled.

Then, at the beginning of May, they heard of an independent commercial repatriation Qatar Airways flight, flying Auckland-Sydney-Doha-Johannesburg. They booked their tickets, but two days before departure, they were told that Marie couldn’t fly as she holds a British passport and the flight was only allowing South African passport holders.

It wouldn’t accept any authentication of her identity or permanent residency. The couple missed the flight. “Each missed opportunity was hard to deal with,” says Wilfred.

But they didn’t lose hope. The person who notified them that Marie couldn’t fly was Van Schalkwyk. He began to work day and night to get the Gruzds on the next flight home. “He would call us early in the morning or in the evening – he never stopped working. He negotiated with Qatar Airways on our behalf. If it wasn’t for him, I believe we would still be stuck in New Zealand,” says Wilfred.

Finally, on 22 May, they flew out of Auckland. They landed at Sydney Airport at 10:00 and had to wait for their next flight at 22:00. Every shop was closed, so they spent 12 long hours in the departure lounge. When they eventually landed in Johannesburg, they had to collect their luggage on the tarmac. They were allocated a minibus, and their luggage was loaded into its trailer.

They then had to wait for a few hours for the minibus to move. Police vehicles with flashing lights eventually escorted them to the Capital on the Park Hotel in Sandton. They had no idea where they would be quarantined, and were grateful to find out it was this hotel.

“After 59 days of lockdown, we were finally back in South Africa,” says Wilfred. They are now waiting out their quarantine, and plan to drive back to Cape Town this week. While at the hotel, they are given three meals a day and their temperatures are taken twice a day. They were also tested for coronavirus, which came back negative.

Looking back at their ordeal, they see many positive aspects: “It was good for us to have quality time together,” says Marie. “There were many good Samaritans along the way. We were put in touch with friends of friends who offered to help us with everything from carrying our groceries to giving us their winter coats to offering us a place to stay. It could have been a “make or break” situation, but in the end, it’s what you make of it!”