By Evelyn Leckie
WHEN Ella Wallwork and Tash Phillips moved into their new place in Yarrambat late last year, they didn’t realise how well they would get to know their neighbours.
During the pandemic, the couple have been overwhelmed with kindness from their new community.
Despite being on semi-rural blocks, Yarrambat residents continue to check up on each other and happily practice socially-distanced favours for one another.
“People have been so comforting here,” Ms Wallwork said.
“We’ve moved here from Western Australia and people have made so much effort to make us welcome.
“As the pandemic restrictions started happening, we found we became more connected to our neighbours during these uncertain times.”
Ms Phillips said when she went out for daily exercise, one of her neighbours cheered her on from his verge as she started her run.
“Even when I run up and down our street, I’ve been doing hill sprints to keep fit,” Ms Phillips said.
“There’s usually a young family that have been making chalk drawings on the road, when I came back the next day I saw they had drawn a woman running up and down a hill – I’m guessing it was of me,” she laughed.
The West Australians said one of their neighbours had chopped up firewood for them and delivered it to a corner of their semi-rural property.
“One of our other neighbours rang us and said we could pick some lemons from her lemon tree, I told her I love baking with lemons and the next day she delivered a lemon tart to our letterbox,” Ms Wallwork said.
The couple said even though social distancing measures were in place, they had managed to feel even more part of the Yarrambat community.
“We’re checking up on our neighbours and they’re looking out for us too, we’re so lucky to have moved to this part of the world during these strange times,” Ms Phillips said.
