There are worse places to be in lockdown than Oriental Bay, New Zealand, overlooking Wellington Harbour.
But for Steven Taylor there is a tinge of disappointment that the prospect of playing football seemed so close after spending the best part of a week in quarantine in Australia.
The former Newcastle defender is now captain of Wellington Phoenix, who play in Australia’s A-League, and until a week ago the plan was for the final few rounds of the league to be played behind closed doors.
To achieve that, Taylor and his team-mates were put in a two-week isolation camp after arriving in Sydney, only for the authorities to postpone the season.