And so our isolation begins.

Friday 21st October, Sydney, Australia at 11:24am (UK time 01:24)

Right....let's start at the very beginning.

That dodgy tummy of mine well it stayed with me during the first leg of the flight to Dubai. No food was consumed or wine for that matter! The meal looked okay, chicken curry, rice, a bread roll, coconut and vanilla moose and to finish cheese and biscuits. Ian's main was meatballs and mash, he's a bit wary of curry having had a dodgy meal at an Indian restaurant once. So apart from the curry he had seconds as I handed my tray over. He did say shame he had lost his drinking buddy, usually the call button is in constant use! Anyway it was during the 5-hour wait at Dubai that the cough started. Tummy had improved and scrambled egg on toast were consumed whilst wiling away the time in the Dubai plaza lounge. 

Boarded onto another of Qantas airbuses, 14 hours of non stop flight. This was to become a bit of a nightmare journey. Trying not to cough, feeling hot with bouts of shivering in between and very glad of the blanket provided. I was convinced I had finally succumbed to the virus. I managed to fall asleep during the flight, at least for 5 hours anyway, the rest of the time was watching films. I can recommend Mrs Harris goes to Paris. Very enjoyable.

 

As soon as we landed and luggage collected, Ian passed me one of the Covid lateral flow tests we had brought with us. Into the ladies to do the biz. Almost immediately the positive line showed up. Blast, so now what do we do? Best phone my brother to tell him the bad news, suggested we find ourselves a hotel, but he wouldn't hear of it.  He would make the upstairs of his house our own private accommodation for the next week.  It's almost like a small apartment, everything we would need including a small sitting room but without a kitchen. So we took him up on his offer, made our way by train to Hornsby (masks worn all the time) where he came and picked us up. 

Home until a negative result.

 So there you have it. So far it's only me that has it. Ian still feels okay, although it would have been good if both of us had got it at the same time. Not sure what to do about travelling to NZ. A hotel had been booked in Auckland for one night anyway before an onward flight to Whanganui to collect the camper van. I had a link sent to me by Marilyn (Waka Huia) about the Covid regs in NZ. It basically said we should take a rapid antigen test if we have symptoms on arrival. I'm hoping to be clear by then. If not flights will have to be rearranged.

Oh, and remember Norwyn? He was around back in 2020. (HERE) Well he's still going strong and living off the blueberries given as a daily treat.