While the world has been in lockdown due to COVID-19, communities in the south have been coming up with innovative ways of coping with the isolation.

Early in level four, an online writing initiative was started in the Te Anau basin by a group headed by Lathee Verrall where residents were asked to submit stories of their thoughts, feelings and ways of coping during the lockdown, as they experienced them.

 A group of volunteers is currently working towards producing a book of the combined work they received which will include short stories, poems and photographs.

Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in Te Anau have moved their weekly meetings online giving their members much need contact and support through this stressful time.

Worldwide, AA has offered meeting via the app Zoom, but a spokesperson for the Te Anau group said they decided to have closed meetings via Messenger Video to keep their meetings private and intimate.

The Te Anau AA spokesperson said that often at meetings, quite personal stories were shared and it was a safe place for people to offload rather than picking up a drink or resorting to other destructive ways of coping.

Anyone needing support with stopping drinking can visit https://aa.org.nz/meetings/?tsml-view=map to find local contact.

On a lighter note, contract bridge clubs in Te Anau and Queenstown have also moved their club bridge games online through BridgeBase, a global platform that allows bridge players around the world to play the popular game while maintaining their safety bubbles.

The online platform has been overwhelmed with people looking to join in and was forced to stop taking new request to join, so the Te Anau and Queenstown clubs joined with an Ashburton club that had already established its club online which then gave the southern clubs access to the facility.

Businesses are also being offered volunteered support. A couple of local photographers have come up with ways to promote the region.

Te Anau photographer Douglas Thorne has produced a short promotional video of Fiordland using his spectacular images of the region to encourage visitors to “come take a look for yourself”.

Mr Thorne grew up in Te Anau and is passionate about the region and regularly shares his images free to the community via social media apps.

The video is free for anyone to share or add to their existing online business presence.

Another part time photographer in Lumsden, Michael Job, has offered a free photo session during May to businesses wanting to update their promotional material. Mr Job’s offer and contact details can be found on the Te Anau Community Facebook page.

Watch Douglas Thorne's video below: