A landscape photographer’s pandemic podcast project was resurrected for Auckland’s second lockdown.

The series, Creation in Isolation, was started on the first day of the nationwide Level 4 lockdown by Aucklander Billy Nunweek, and the daily episodes lasted for four weeks.

Nunweek had just clocked out of work at a construction company when he had the brainwave.

“I was driving home on the last day of Level 3 and I had the idea to do a podcast to keep me busy. I hit up my mate, started it the next day and didn’t look back,” he said.

The interview-style podcast focuses largely on creatives who work in the outdoors, including aerial photographer Petra Leary and explorer Brando Yelavich.

Putting out daily episodes became difficult towards the end of lockdown, Nunweek said.

“I got to day 20 and I was mentally drained. Each episode takes 3-4 hours, so I ended up taking three or four days off, and then had to pump out a few a day,” he said.

Nunweek said the experience gave him an appreciation for New Zealand’s handling of Covid-19, and of the small everyday beauties in life.

“Pre-lockdown, I needed big stunning vistas and incredible mountains to take my breath away, whereas now, I look at my family farm and think ‘wow – it’s gorgeous’. I don’t need that wow factor,” he said.

When Auckland returned to Level 3, Nunweek jokingly mentioned resuming the podcast on his Instagram, and a huge response encouraged him to start it back up again.

“I didn’t expect so many people would enjoy me talking for a few hours,” he said.

The podcast is available on Spotify.