Carnegie struggles with being a virus refugee

Call it the perils of having an offshore slice of real estate paradise – and a long-distance relationship – in the era of coronavirus.

High-profile Sydney-based venture capitalist Mark Carnegie has been stranded in New Zealand's Golden Bay on the tip of the south island since the borders shut in late March.

Carnegie and his aristocratic English girlfriend, Lady Katie Percy, have been holed up on the 90-hectare property they bought jointly last year for $NZ6 million ($5.6 million) with views of Kahurangi National Park in Takaka, near Golden Bay.

It's a popular spot with high net worth individuals, including Tom Sturgess, one of New Zealand's richest men, who ditched corporate life in America to move there after being treated for cancer.

It might be recognised as one of the world's most picturesque regions, but Mr Carnegie counts himself as among the coronavirus refugees eagerly anticipating the resumption of international flights and the creation of a trans-Tasman bubble.

"It's getting a bit cold here, but at least the house we're in is only one bedroom, so it's nice and cosy," Mr Carnegie told The Australian Financial Review on Wednesday. "It's a beautiful spot to sit this out. However, I'm desperate to get back to Australia to see my kids as soon as I can.

"The plan was always to shuttle between the two countries, do the commute every couple of weeks, but clearly that hasn't been possible."

Mr Carnegie has booked a Qantas flight to Sydney on July 1. However, hopes of a "travel bubble" are premature – industry groups say it is unlikely to happen before September.

Qantas has told would-be international travellers they can book flights online to and from New Zealand, but warned those flights will most likely be cancelled if travel is still not permitted closer to July.

Kiwi credentials

"Qantas is reviewing cancellations in five to six-week blocks, with the July period set for changes soon that will be reflected on its website," a spokesman said. "Any customers who book a flight which is cancelled will get flight credit or a refund."

Mr Carnegie showed off his Kiwi credentials, commending New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for her adept leadership. "I'm keen to see the borders reopen, but having said that, the Kiwis are trying to work out when is Australia going to get some stability with this.

"The New Zealanders are hoping the first week of July, but there is no way [Ms Ardern] will throw all her hard work to the wind."

Meanwhile, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said his government should have already ended almost all restrictions on daily life, including travel restrictions with Australia.

Mr Peters suggested in a radio interview that the health advice to the government was overly risk-averse and New Zealand should be at level one restrictions, rather than the level two it adopted this week, which allows visits to restaurants, cafes and bars to have a meal.

He said the enemy at this point was not COVID-19 but the economic damage wrought by the disease, according to the Stuff website – and that his New Zealand First party had unsuccessfully pushed this argument in government.

"The Prime Minister has actually admitted that, at the cabinet meeting she said it, there was serious concerns from New Zealand First that this was taking too long," he told Newstalk ZB. "We should have got out of this into a better place as soon as possible."

Fiji has flagged it too would like to be in the bubble, while Singapore, and even Bali have also been flagged as "green corridors".

with Lucas Baird