A Scots vlogger ‘hit the jackpot’ after accidentally getting stuck in New Zealand at the beginning of the pandemic.
Jaye Tremble has only spent two months in lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak last year.
The 22-year-old, from Irvine, spent 2020 going to four festivals, nightclubs every weekend, and travelled the country in a campervan before getting a job at a kiwi farm on the other side of the world.
But despite her freedom Jaye admitted she is really missing her family and getting a Chinese takeaway.
Now she has lifted the lid on what her life has been like since arriving last February.
Jaye said: “I honestly feel like I’ve hit the jackpot for moving here.
“I’ve travelled all over New Zealand, I’ve literally seen more of this country than I’ve seen of Scotland.
“I’ve been skiing, paragliding, dolphin watching, climbed volcanos, been to four festivals.
“All nightclubs have been open, most weekends I go out it’s been mobbed with people in and out the bars.
“On occasions we’ve had to socially distance and be seated in places but it’s only happened twice for one week.
“But I do miss crisp cold mornings funnily enough and Chinese take-aways.
“They’re just not the same over here.”
Jaye arrived in New Zealand on the 18th of February just three weeks before plunging into lockdown.
The Vlogger immediately booked a flight home but it was cancelled, which she now thinks was a blessing in disguise.
New Zealand's full lockdown began on 25th of March but by the 8th of June Jaye was free to ‘mingle’ again.
She stayed with family for a while before packing up and living out of her campervan for months travelling around the country to Wellington, Auckland, Queenstown, Milford sound, Christchurch, Waiheke Island, Dunedin, Rotorua.
Now she has her own apartment and is picking thousands of kiwis everyday to support herself.
Jaye explained: “I was so lucky to get here when I did because three weeks after my arrival the whole world went into lockdown and it turned out I got stuck in the best country possible.
“I even tried to book a flight home just before lockdown in a panic but luckily it got cancelled so I had no choice.
“Luckily for me I had family here in New Zealand whom I had never met before so I ended up spending my 2 month lockdown with them.
“I got to know them so well and now I can’t imagine not having them in my life.
“I had planned to come to New Zealand to travel and work for one year then move on to Australia but I’m going to stay for another year due to covid.
“Until other countries have covid under control I intend to stay here as long as I can.
“Once things are getting better I’ll be off to travel to a new country.”
Jaye keeps up with her friends back in Scotland regularly and can’ wait until it is safe to bring them out to see her.
Her family have high hopes they can visit her next year when more people are vaccinated.
Jaye added: “I keep in contact with my friends and family most days, they love seeing that i’m able to live life over here and they all want to come visit as soon as they’re allowed to.
“I miss them loads but I’m definitely in the right place for the time being.
“When I do see them it could be the first time I reunite with them in two years which is crazy, I've never gone that long without seeing them.
“We’re now into Autumn here so my next plan is to head to Queenstown for the ski season in June and work on the slopes.”
Jaye has been recording the full journey on her Youtube channel so document what she has been up to.
She added: “I’ve always been interested in travel vlogging and l’ve always wanted to give it a try.
“I thought now is the best time considering I’m in one of the only countries where I can actually travel and show others these amazing places.”
You can keep up with Jayes journey by watching her Youtube Channel Jaye Tremble.
