So it's 'Take 3' tomorrow morning for myself and the Scott Base crew's 9am C17 flight to Antarctica, courtesy of the good ole USAF. We were supposed to leave Friday, then Saturday, then Sunday...weather delays are part of the fun (unfortunately). Disinfected buses collect us from our managed isolation facility at 6m and will shuttle … Continue reading gone baby, gone…
exodus…
After 5 months of stress, anxiety and dislocation with uncertainty and isolation my bedfellows every sleepless night since March, I'm finally on my way out of the dumpster fire that is Australia 2020. Unfortunately not on a ship (so the Exodus analogy ends here) but rather a grumpy and sour Qantas flight to Sydney and … Continue reading exodus…
first world problem…
It's Monday and I'm not in New Zealand. You may recall I was booked to fly Sunday (yesterday) after my Approval To Leave Australia came through last week and the NZ travel approval expected to follow shortly after. Good news came Friday in typical Government fashion (ie last minute on a Friday) - my Critical … Continue reading first world problem…
…idiots.
So now it appears that Australia was a little early to start patting itself on the back about it's performance with Covid 19 and fast track economic recovery. Apparently the 'Australian dumbarse bogan factor' wasn't taken into account when they were busy circlejerking themselves about our pandemic response and it appears that the abundant 'Idiot … Continue reading …idiots.
normal sick…
After a week of feeling not myself, fatigued and with the ghost of a sore throat haunting me, Tuesday morning I woke with a nasty headache and a sore neck - a sure sign I was getting sick . By Tuesday evening an off putting oddness moved into my head, sinuses and throat. The headache … Continue reading normal sick…
Dubbo Sh*tshow…
My nutshell experience trying to get tested for Corona Virus while in 14 day quarantine in Dubbo, a regional hub / city of about 46,000 people. On Day 5 of quarantine I get a sore throat and a little hoarse but otherwise feel perfectly fine, so taking note of the "awesome and amazing" Government Covid-19 … Continue reading Dubbo Sh*tshow…
Sydney sh*tshow…
So the long flight home was a mix of relief and mounting anxiety about what we all would be facing on return to Australia. Chatting to a Aussie mate 'in the know' while in Bangkok, he verified for me that they weren't nabbing incoming passengers from the airport and whisking them off the quarantine YET … Continue reading Sydney sh*tshow…
Spamdemic…#5
Well of course Thursdays flight was cancelled, wasn’t it. Just for a few brief hours I’d allowed myself to entertain getting to Australia ok. It took a lot of phone calls, luck and pleases to get this sorted, but eventually a super helpful lady at the Thai Airways ticketing counter at Chiang Mai airport ( … Continue reading Spamdemic…#5
Spamdemic…#4
One key aspect of solo travel is knowing when to call it - when to blow that "full time' whistle and head home. To be able to read the signs around you, look at your motivations, assess the risks and take action. I've hammered this point to fellow travelers over the years; now to take … Continue reading Spamdemic…#4
Spamdemic…#3
Friday morning and the streets here are getting emptier every day. Fewer and fewer people are venturing out; a combination of the smoke and the fear of Covid19. There's still the odd Westerner about, but we're definitely the minority now - the rowdy groups of backpackers and lovesick honeymooners are largely gone. The usual streetscapes … Continue reading Spamdemic…#3
Man Down! 