Meet the couple who've spent lockdown stranded in a remote Canadian car park

We likely all remember the moment we realised the severity of the Covid-19 situation – but for some, this realisation was more dramatic than others.

For Julie and Marcus Tuck, it came as quite a surprise on arriving in Whitehorse, the capital of Canada's Yukon territory, in mid-March, to discover that the country, like much of the world, was going into lockdown.

The British couple, who have been on the road in their motorhome for more than six years, arrived in Canada at the start of March and had been driving through British Columbia, heading up to the Arctic Circle for summer. They had no internet access until they arrived in Whitehorse, which was when they discovered how quickly the pandemic had escalated.

"We went fairly remote, [at the start of March] Covid was kind of there in the background but it wasn't really a big deal," said Julie. "It was only when we arrived in the town of Whitehorse at the Yukon Visitor Information Center, where there is Wi-Fi, that we realised the borders had been locked down and the government was saying it didn't want any non-essential travel." 

Within days of their arrival it was announced that Yukon would be closed to non-residents – but upon contacting the Canadian government's Covid-19 team, Julie and Marcus were told that as they had effectively been self-isolating in their vehicle for two weeks, they should stay put. The visitor centre said they could stay in its car park, which is where they have been ever since, despite having planned to be in Whitehorse only a couple of days.

So how has lockdown been in a 4m x 2m space? Cold at first, with temperatures as low as -31C at night, which they were prepared for anyway, of course, but it presented other unexpected challenges. "Getting water was difficult initially because everything had frozen; all the outdoor taps and rivers. Eventually we found a car wash that had an indoor tap where we could attach our hose," Julie explained.

Other than that, "not too bad," mused Marcus. There have been only 11 reported cases of Covid-19 in Yukon, none of which required hospital treatment, so the province's lockdown has not been as severe as some. Like many of us, the couple have taken delight and comfort from the changing of the seasons.

"The parking area is quite pleasant, and we've been able to walk along the river. Over 10 weeks we've watched the ice break up and seen the bergs going down the river; the change to summer and green leaves has been quite nice to see," Marcus said. "Other than that, there's always something to be done on the truck, so I've been doing that."

The couple have been a hit with locals, too, particularly since appearing in the local news. "When word got round that we were here, people started by sending emails welcoming us, and then before long they were knocking on our door with gifts of home-baked cakes and other food. They have been amazing, just so kind," said Julie.

The couple's travels started in 2014 when, in their late 40s, they decided to rent out their house, sell most of their possessions, and hit the road. They started in Italy, went through Europe and have since travelled across much of the Americas, with Canada being their 48th country.

They are now waiting for the next border review on June 21 to see if they will be able to carry on and cross over into Alaska. It will signal the end of what has certainly been one of the most unusual periods of their adventure. "We weren't really worried when we realised we were stuck here," said Marcus. "There are definitely worse places to be."

Follow Marcus and Julie's travels here.