Following my post Pandem-oving to Aus, this is about my flights from Heathrow to Perth and my Quarantine experience at the InterContinental Hotel on Hay Street in Perth, Western Australia.

This is another long post, so skip ahead by clicking on the section heading hyperlink:

• Flights (it’s just below, don’t be lazy)
• Quarantine
• Advice for Quarantinees
• Adjusting
• Final Thoughts

Flights

Heathrow

I arrived at the airport before 9:00am, took my last few breaths of fresh air without a mask, and struggled to baggage check-in. I knew my bags were about 2kg overweight (the limit is 35kg) and I had already moved a few kg into my hand luggage making it uncomfortably heavy…

Singapore Airlines are scrupulous about weight for check-in bags and will charge you a fortune at the airport for being over (US$43/kg if I have interpreted their charges correctly) but people have reported that a couple of kilos are OK. So my theory was that they round to the nearest 5kg and charge you if it rounds to 40kg, so I had to keep it to under 2.5kg over.

Check-in was actually open, although quiet, and went smoothly. And they didn’t bat an eyelid at my bags being a tad too heavy! Afterwards, I parked at a table to eat breakfast and chug a flask of tea before tipping the rest of my liquids and heading through security.

Security was exactly the same as usual, other than having to drop the mask for the passport check and putting any hand sanitiser in the little baggies for liquids.

Duty free shops and many of the normal airport shops are closed, other than essentials. The airport was a little quieter than I was used to but then I didn’t have much time to pay attention since I had to head straight to my gate.

With much less people flying, the gate was also quiet with plenty of room to sit while distancing. While waiting at the gate, one of the Singapore Airlines staff walked around and checked everyone’s temperature and made a mark on my boarding pass. It wasn’t long until we were called to board by zone and everyone loaded very quickly. Boarding was a little later than the time printed on my boarding pass, likely because they don’t require the full hour to load relatively way less people.

Flight LHR – SIN

We were provided with a Care Kit which contained a mask, antibacterial wipe and hand sanitiser. I used the wipe to clean down all three tray tables (I like to spread out) and the closest two screens (my screen is too close when the seat in front of me reclines, so I use the next one along). We had to wear masks the entire time, except when eating, so I conveniently snacked and sipped water when I needed a breathing break. I also had 5 masks on me so I switched to a clean one every 4-5 hours.

The safety video was slightly different, as they had to clarify that you have to remove your mask before applying the oxygen mask in an emergency. Ha!

This flight was on an Airbus A350-900 which usually has a capacity of between 300-350 people. In my section of economy, each of the outer banks of 3 seats had one person in each, while the central bank was empty. If there’s 20 rows = 180 seats in the back of economy, about 40 seats were filled. There were probably 100-120 people on the flight.

I usually fly Qatar to Perth, so I was quite pleased with the flat seats on Singapore Airlines planes that enabled much more comfort while stretching out over 3 seats! The entertainment system seemed to be the same as usual, but the meal service was restricted for allergies and I think there was one less meal (a snack) provided, but that didn’t bother be as I brought 24hrs-worth of food for myself. The service was excellent and much less rushed, and there was always a free toilet.

Once we had landed and the seatbelt sign turned off, the quiet and calmness that people retrieved their hand luggage was eerie…

Transit at Changi

Once arriving in Changi airport, we were separated into those exiting into Singapore and those transiting. The latter were lined up on markers about 1.5m apart and given a bright green band on their right wrist. We were then separated into groups of about 20 and escorted on a nice walk through a very quiet airport.

Ok, I can’t remember this part very clearly. I have a feeling that there was some kind of security check point – not a full laptop-out-of-bags security point but they probably checked our temperature and next boarding passes…

After that, we passed into a transit lounge that was very empty. The Singapore Airlines webpage says that there are separate lounges in each terminal (so the check point must have been to see our boarding passes and where we should be heading). There were plenty of seats (only about 1/6 were filled) plus toilets, charging points, drinking water fountains and a food stall. There was a screen with flight statuses but these were largely ignored. Instead, a person announced over a speaker when they were calling passengers for a flight and they gathered and lined up in the open area at the front.

We were escorted to a security checkpoint – this was a temperature check I think – and then we lined up outside the airport train to get to our gate. Here, I did a quick headcount and there were about 40 of us transiting to the next flight. The entire way, we were escorted by staff and didn’t have to think for ourselves at all.

At the gate, we went through full security (liquids and laptops out, shoes off etc.) and lined up again to be lead straight onto the plane. I suspect that people who were not transiting had already been boarded, as more than 40 people got off the flight.

Flight SIN-PER

Same as the last flight, this one was very comfortable and cruisy. I was again in the back section of economy with a total of three other people. It seems that, with even less people, the service was even more relaxed and attentive. Since I had missed a night’s sleep jumping ahead 8hrs, I napped as much as possible.

Arrival at Perth

We landed, and it was very eerie at how quiet the plane was. We unloaded and the dry heat of the cattle run was fantastic!

Most of the toilets were closed off, but there was one large toilet open just before duty free, but duty free was also closed.

Process

First was passport security, which operated as normal (except for having to drop the mask). After, there’s an area to complete the G2G forms if you don’t already have one.

Down the escalators and to baggage reclaim. It was only our flight so the baggage was off quick and there was plenty of trollies and space to remove bags from the carousel.

Customs was just like normal. I had food to declare given that I’d packed supplies for Quarantine. If you are bringing food, CHECK RESTRICTIONS! Make sure all food is sealed and doesn’t contain pork. I got through fine.

Instead of heading to the usual exit after Customs, everyone is channeled back to the far side of baggage reclaim where they have set up the next stage – a G2G pass check and chat with the police. I learned that ‘G2G’ stands for ‘Good to Go’ – huh!

At this stage, it’s much easier to have previously obtained your pass and printed it out, although it’s not essential. Everyone is called forward one group at a time to talk to a police officer in a line of booths where they check details, tell you your legal obligations to quarantine and also tell you the hotel you’ll be staying at – I was to be at the InterContinental.

The next stage is to grab your bags and walk to a single booth where you are checked in to the hotel by lovely staff from Health and Wellbeing (I think). I asked these staff about my food allergies and they told me to alert hotel staff when I get there.

Then everyone is lined up in a seating area indoors, 2m apart, to wait for the bus. I didn’t think to do a headcount but from memory there were about 4 rows of 15 seats with a few overflowing, so approximately 70 people.

It appears that the entire flight’s travelers need to complete the full process before they call the buses, so those off first have to wait in this area for a long time. There is access to toilets, but not to refreshments.

Bus trip

Loading onto the buses happens by row. For our flight, there were four long buses (with the bendy middle), with luggage packed into the front seats and isle and people in the back (two seats each). I was loaded into the third bus.

The transit to the buses was glorious!! We were finally outside, under a blue sky, in the sun with a warm breeze. It was a beautiful couple of minutes!

The buses don’t leave until all the passengers and luggage are packed. Our bus was the second to leave (cheeky) with a police escort to the hotel. The drive was about 30-40 minutes and then the buses lined up at the hotel.

Hotel arrival

While we were waiting in the bus, someone from the hotel entered the front of the bus and announced that, when it was our turn, we were to collect our bags, grab an information pack from the staff in the lobby and go straight up to our rooms. Once we had read through the information, we could call Reception with any questions.

Some awkwardness followed once our bus pulled up. Given the super smooth process everywhere else, it was a surprise that we now had a hiccup. We needed our bags to enter the hotel but our bags were packed into the front of the bus with access only to those in front. A kind group of passengers from the bus formed a line and emptied all the bags onto the pavement to make the process easier for everyone else. I was useless to help, but my bags came off quickly, so I thanked the guys for helping and entered the hotel.

I was given an information pack, room key, and asked if I had any questions. I mentioned my allergies and tried to hand them the letter from my specialist, but they refused to accept it (in the UK and COVID societies, this isn’t seen as a risk, but apparently it is here!). Instead they said someone would give me a call once in my room. They also asked if I had any contraband items in my bags – knives, scissors, alcohol or anything that produces a flame. I said no (they legally cannot search your bags to check).

I took the elevator up by myself and a guard pointed to the hallway where I’d find my room. Once finding it, I took one last breath of free air and pushed open the door, awkwardly negotiating my bags inside. It was about 6:00pm. Then I ripped off my mask! (Despite a bit of anxiety about wearing masks for over 24 hours, it actually was okay and not too uncomfortable…. other than when carrying all my bags at the airport and, while breathing hard, I was breathing in my mask as well).

Room – InterContinental Hotel

My room has one large non-opening window with views over many rooftops and down onto Hay Street.

The room was provided with the following:

• Two queen beds (not sure why I needed a second one…)
• Large TV
• Small round table and rolling chair
• Couch
• Two sets of plates, knives and forks
• Kettle
• Nespresso pod coffee machine
• Tiny tea pot, two tea cups and saucers, tea spoons, and a sample of T2 tea
• Drinks cooker (warmer than a fridge)
• Enough shampoo, conditioner and body wash to last two weeks
• Washing-up liquid and dishcloth
• Hairdryer
• Plenty of towels
• Two drinking glasses
• Wifi
• Plenty of lights, power points and USB charging points
• Rubbish bags
• Linen cupboard with storage for luggage and clothes draws
• Sheer blinds and black-out blinds

FYI the water tasted disgustingly chlorine-y. I was dehydrated from the trip but the taste was so off-putting that I could only drink it as tea.

It was also immediately noticeable how quiet it was! These rooms are obviously designed to help guests get a solid night’s sleep in the middle of the city so they are quite sound proof. I couldn’t hear any street noise, any sirens, any voices from adjacent rooms… nothing!

Allergies

I did receive a call within about two minutes of arriving to discuss my allergies. The lady was very attentive, wrote down my list, then discussed options with me. I had every confidence.

Quarantine

Day 0

Within my first hour, my darling mother had visited and dropped a care package for me containing special food, treats, plants, sheets (I react to some washing powders so prefer to supply my own), flowers and a yoga mat. If you didn’t know, all packages and deliveries are opened and checked at reception for contraband items (knives, scissors, alcohol etc.) so there’s no way to obtain handy cooking and craft tools that way. Mum and I could see each other from window to kerbside so we managed a teary chat too.

Despite my tiredness and hunger, I couldn’t yet sit down and so spent the first couple of hours setting up my ‘home’ by unpacking bags and adding some personal touches.

Dinner arrived around 7pm and I received a meal I could actually eat! Salted chicken, carrots and zucchini. Jetlag hit that night and I was awake at 5am for a midnight snack, and was very thankful Mum had left me some extra food or I would have been starving! I didn’t get back to sleep.

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Day 1

Received an 8am phone call alerting me that breakfast was at my door. This would be routine for the next two weeks. After the call, I got up and dressed, made the bed and bought in the brekky bag. Unfortunately they had completely misinterpreted my allergies and I could eat barely any of it. Instead, I ate more of the food Mum had left for me. I let the receptionist know and later received a call to clarify my list.

Here is a series of short videos providing a tour of my hotel room, once I had it set up (apologies for the massive size – I have limited tools to format this post and cannot find a way to make these videos smaller):

I received another care package today from a dear friend, containing flowers from her garden, tea and a puzzle!

The lunch call was received at 12:30 and consisted of a garden salad with chicken that was completely compliant, edible and delicious!

The nurses arrived in the afternoon to give us our first COVID-19 test. Urgh, very unpleasant! Compared to my later test, this nurse liked to linger in all the uncomfortable places which made it worse than it could have been.

I also called reception to enquire about getting a microwave in my room. The response was that, due to electrical and health concerns (if you burn food and set off the smoke alarm, everyone must evacuate and re-start quarantine), only people with newborns or those with an exceptional reason to have a microwave will be allowed to have one. I’ll get by. Some hotels also don’t allow any cooking appliances, naked flames or smoking for these same reasons, and some don’t like you using any electrical appliances at all since they aren’t checked to be safe by an electrician and hence pose an electrical and health risk.

Dinner arrived at 6:30 containing spiced koftas and a simple salad – delicious!

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Activities for Day 1 included:

• Calls – three with family members, one with the nurse to check for COVID-19 symptoms
• Admin – set up an Aussie sim, placed an order with Coles
• Domestics – soaked mung beans for sprouting, did my dishes
• Exercise – none (2,000 steps as a neutral baseline)
• Fun – started the puzzle, and started my cross stitch

Given the lack of table space, I set up the puzzle on the floor beneath the couch by my window so I could do it with natural light and it would be protected during the day when I swung the couch back over!

Main emotion for Day 1: SLEEPY!

Jetlag kept me awake late again, despite compounding exhaustion, but I fell asleep around midnight.

Day 2

Managed 8hrs sleep! Breakfast was edible today – corn flakes, hard boiled eggs and a banana. Lunch was steak, rice, roasted sweet potato and a simple salad. Dinner was chicken with a delicious brown sticky marinade with rice and coleslaw, but I was already digging in to Mum’s food when it arrived!

My Coles order arrived today with spring water, other drinks, snacks, backup meal ingredients and some treats. Yay!

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In further good news, yesterday’s COVID-19 test was negative!!

Activities for Day 2:

• Calls – Dad, Mum and a friend
• Admin – Pre-work meeting for my new job
• Domestics – Soaked buckwheat to sprout, dishes, and a re-humidifier
• Exercise – 4,000 steps up and down my ‘hall’
• Fun – Puzzle, cross-stitch and audiobook

I created a re-humidifier to help with the dry hotel air by soaking a large towel, wringing it so it wasn’t dripping, then laying it across a glass shelf beneath the TV so that any puddles wouldn’t run onto the carpet. I also set up my diffuser with essential oils to assist with re-humidifying the air too.

Main emotion for Day 2: Peaceful

Day 3

In my experience with jetlag, the first night is rubbish, second night great, and then it’s downhill again! I only got 6hrs sleep at the start of Day 3.

Breakfast was what I had been hoping for – heaps of bacon, hard boiled eggs and an avocado! Lunch was also incredible, with a large crunchy-skinned salmon fillet and broccoli (plus I added some organic fruit). Dinner was steak with char-grilled broccoli and a Mediterranean salad (i.e. rocket, cucumber and olives for me!).

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Today I achieved better hydration and exercise – whoop!

Activites for Day 3 included:

• Calls – UK friend and her bub, Mum x2 and the nurse
• Domestics – Rinsed sprouts, did dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Fun – Binge-watched The Mandalorian Season 1 (thanks to a borrowed Disney+ account), reading and audiobooks, cross-stitch, puzzle
• Exercise – 6,000 steps (largely forwards and backwards down the ‘hall’ while watching The Mandalorian at the other end).

Main emotion for Day 3: Dazed (bloody jetlag)

Day 4

Day 4 started horribly. I didn’t get to sleep until 3am then woke at the 8am breakfast call, grabbed my food, then went back to sleep. I didn’t sleep well and woke later from a nightmare (something I haven’t experienced for years!) and it took a couple of hours to shake it off.

The nightmare was as follows (or skip to below the italicised text):

The nightmare was about my Mum’s upcoming visit. I dreamt that she and my sis had tried to call me when they arrived but I slept through it, so they decided to explore the building instead and found some seating outside, a few floors higher at a separate café, where they could sit by a window to see into the hotel.

In the dream, I woke in a panic and noticed their missed calls. I called them and left my room in a frenzy (and in my PJs), running down the stairs to find them. The hotel had a function on so there were smartly-dressed people wandering about. I found my family, said hello, then realised I should probably change to be more presentable and to return and stay longer with my family.

But I couldn’t find the door to the stairwell to get back to my room. And when I did, it was locked! And I didn’t have my room key either! And then I suddenly remembered about COVID-19 and panic skyrocketed, thinking I had potentially exposed all these people to COVID and that they now may need to quarantine (a huge disruption to their lives because of my mistake!) and I’d be arrested and given a massive fine for a simple mistake from desperation to see my family.

After a call with Mum to try calm down, I had a lovely long shower, did lots of deep breathing and put on my essential oil diffuser with a calming blend. That, and some domestics, took my mind off of it.

Breakfast was corn flakes and hard boiled eggs again so, with my Coles order, I made my usual smoothie instead. Lunch was steak with a simple salad and rice (I didn’t eat the latter, but ate the breakfast eggs instead). Dinner was a large piece of salmon with a corn cob, broccoli and roasted pumpkin.

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Mum visited as planned, dropping off some extra things for me including some natural supplements to help me sleep and a water filter!!

Activities on Day 4 included:

• Calls – Mum x3, Dad, sister x2 (I needed them!)
• Domestics – Rinsed sprouts, hand-washed some ‘intimate apparel’, did the dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Fun – Finished the puzzle, cross-stitch, Disney+
• Exercise – 6,000 steps (exhaustion not helping to gain on this)

Main emotion for Day 4: URGH

Day 5

Finally, 8hrs sleep last night!! WOW, how much of an effect that has on my mood! I also think that today marked the last of my jetlag, as my body seemed hungry and sleepy on Perth time today.

Breakfast was bacon, eggs, sausages and an avocado, some of which I ate and some I stored for later, complimenting it with my liquid smoothie breakfast. Lunch was peppered chicken with steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots! Dinner was steak and broccoli (again), to which I added mum’s coleslaw and my finished sprouts.

Activities for Day 5 included:

• Calls – Great Great Aunt, a good friend, Dad, and the Health and Wellbeing team
• Domestics – washed dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Fun – Disney+, cross-stitch, making a ‘# DAYS LEFT’ sign for my window
• Exercise: 7,000 steps, short yoga, my first (small) workout

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Main emotion for Day 5: Content

Day 6

7hrs sleep last night and a content boredom today.

Breakfast was cornflakes again, so I had my wet brekky instead. Lunch was a salad of lettuce, cucumber, ham and pepitas, so I bulked it up with a tin of sardines, eggs, avocado and sprouts, with (dairy-free) cheese and GF crackers on the side! Dinner was salmon and broccoli (again) to which I added some olives and fruit. They gave me a tomato salad to go with it, despite it very clearly stating on my bag that tomato is one of my intolerances!

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Activities for Day 6:

• Calls – Mum x2, Dad, medical team
• Admin
• Domestics – washed dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Exercise – 8,000 steps plus an easy workout
• Fun – Cross-stitch, Disney+, book and audiobook

Main emotion for Day 6: Patience

Day 7 – HALF WAY DAY

A bit of a disaster day, food-wise. Breakfast was cornflakes again so I had my smoothie instead. For lunch they served me a sandwich with tomato, curried egg and greens – i.e. three things that were suspect!! So instead I spent some of my Uber Eats voucher (a thoughtful going-away present!) to get sushi instead. Dinner was better with chicken, broccoli and coleslaw, plus my dearest Mum dropped off a me-friendly chocolate cake to celebrate my half way day! And we had a lovely chat too, of course.

I made a point to celebrate today, just to break the monotony of these quarantine days. Although, my celebration consisted mainly of eating treats followed by more exercise than usual!

Activities for Day 7 included:

• Calls – Mum x2 (including during visit), sister x2
• Admin
• Domestics – washed dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Exercise – 10,000 steps, including about 6,000 at a jog! Plus morning and evening stretches
• Fun – Cross-stitch, audiobooks, reading, Disney+

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Main emotion for Day 7: Feeling stronger

Day 8

After 7hrs sleep I enjoyed a delicious breakfast of sausages, eggs, mushrooms and an avocado, to which I added sprouts and fruit. Lunch was steak with broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini (with added sprouts!). Dinner salmon and broccoli (again again) with corn and zucchini.

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My calves were quite sore after the jogging yesterday, so instead I walked and talked to get my steps up and achieved 10,000 steps before dinner! Woohoo!

Activities for Day 8 included:

• Calls – Aunt, good friend and Mum
• Domestics – Washed hair (it’s a weekly thing and so quite an even), washed dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Exercise – 10,000 steps, morning and evening stretches, yoga, meditation
• Fun – Same again, plus more people watching

Main emotion for Day 8: Boredom (other than when talking to people)

Day 9

Today I went mental.

I felt trapped, stuck, sick of the same air and so exhausted of the sensory deprivation (no sunlight, no breeze, no street noises or sounds of nature, no humans or hugs). Having felt a bit like this during furlough in the middle of the UK Lockdowns, I knew what to do: Change Everything!!

1. I turned the temperature in the room down to 16 degrees just to feel something different and I put on a comfort hoodie, jeans and socks.
2. Then I turned on the TV for the first time and watched some kids programs until Test match cricket started.
3. My daily route was overthrown. Usually I got up, dressed, made the bed and washed the dishes before sitting down to eat breakfast, but today I left the bed and didn’t do my dishes until after lunch.
4. I sat in different places all day. The couch is at a bad angle to watch the TV so I sat in bed during the day and ate my meals from the couch instead of the chair.
5. I ate my meals at different times too, eating my lunch and dinner almost immediately (I usually left them for over an hour before eating) and snacking whenever I felt inclined
6. My usual fun activities were all different today as well. I did some writing on my laptop, read my book while walking (backwards and forwards along the hall so no motion illness, and got to 8,000 steps), and didn’t touch my cross-stitch or audiobook!
7. I also diffused some relaxing essential oils, did a meditation, lots of deep breathing and caressing of my lovely plants and flowers

I survived.

Quarantine sounds like a relaxing break, and Yes it partially is, but being so removed from the world, from people and from sensory experiences is extraordinarily difficult. I have become mentally strong after years of living by myself and far from my family, especially after the trying times of UK Lockdowns and furlough in a studio apartment on my lonesome, but I’d estimate that only a fraction of people have that mental strength and resilience. SO MANY suffer under these quarantine conditions, and that is without any pre-existing challenges such as mental or medical issues, the difficulties of living in a confined space with other people (even if you love them), caring for young fractious children, or suffering from the trauma of being stranded overseas and the many challenges to come home.

Add to that the treatment from some of the Australian public as if we are criminals trying to infect everyone, the media willingly misrepresenting those in quarantine as entitled travelers living in luxury, the general ignorance of the struggles being experienced by overseas Australians, lack of support from the government who have been claiming glory for actions that have very little impact, and the situation is a mental shitstorm.

Remember, hotels have added knives and scissors to the list of contraband items. Why? To avoid the risk of harm requiring medical intervention (potentially exposing health workers to the virus) but also due to suicide risk. The only options to support mental issues are over-the-phone counselling and antidepressants. You know what would help a lot more? Windows that open or escorted time outside in small groups. The eastern states have managed this safely, so why can’t WA? End of rant.

Breakfast: same again, a smoothie. Lunch was a vegetarian salad that I bulked up similarly to previous means. Dinner was marinated chicken with steamed veggies (carrot, mushrooms, broccoli) and a simple salad.

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Main emotion for Day 9: Stir crazy!!

Day 10

Ok, I’m feeling better today. The thermostat is back up to 26 and I’m crossing bits of my old routine with my new one – mainly, the cricket is on and looking like a wicket!

Breakfast was great – bacon, mushrooms and zucchini, to which I added avocado. They provided potato hash browns too (the last time I tried potato was 4 years ago and I had an extremely painful reaction in my gut) but I was very naughty and tried one… slowly… and didn’t have any side effects! So I tried a bit more… and waited… and still no reaction! So I gobbled down the whole lot and still didn’t feel any adverse affects the whole day. I may have overcome my potato intolerance – whoop whoop!! (After getting out of quarantine I continued to properly reintroduce potato and continued to have no ill effects – so yay for the AIP protocol and my improved gut health!)

Lunch was another one of those bloody roll things that is extremely suspicious, so instead I made a salad of leftover and pantry food (tinned sardines, avocado, corn, olives, sprouts) with cheese and crackers on the side. Dinner redeemed itself with salmon, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Yes, salmon again, but I’m not quiiiite sick of it yet!

One of the highlights of today was receiving a package from my sister. It contained materials I had ordered to make Christmas presents for my family, but it arrived later than I had expected leaving me 4 days of quarantine to finish as much as possible! What were these materials, I hear you ask? Paracord! (The security people who checked the package were curious). My plan is to make belts for my Dad and Sister, a survival bracelet for my Sister’s boyfriend, some decorative designs with diffuser beads for my Mum, and a net drink bottle holder for myself. See my Instagram account stories for updates on those!

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Activities for Day 10:

• Calls – Many! Two Aussie friends including a shared yoga session, Dad, Mum x2, Sis (during a brief visit), and a UK friend.
• Domestics – Washed dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Exercise – Yoga and 6,000 steps
• Fun – watching the cricket, new crafts, cross stitch

Main emotion for Day 10: Content

Day 11

A completely different breakfast arrived today, and thank goodness for a touch of variety! It was an avocado, hard boiled eggs, strawberries, blueberries and a banana. I turned this into a savoury platter (sliced egg and avo, cheese and crackers) along with a fruit salad, using up some of the fruit I had been storing. Yum!!

Lunch was steak, broccoli and a corn cob. The corn cob was a nice change. At the end of this blog I’m going to do a tally of my meals just to see how often I was served the same thing over again.

Dinner was steak. I’m not even kidding. This time it was served with broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, rice and a watermelon and mint salad. Needless to say, I lacked the enthusiasm to put it on a plate this time.

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With our dinner we also received a standard letter from the Department of Health explaining what happens at the end of our quarantine if we are tested negative or positive. Nothing unexpected.

Activities for Day 11:

• Calls – Mum, Aunt and Nanna, and my high school girls group
• Domestics – Washed dishes, put 500ml on re-humidifier, and did another load of hand-washing unmentionables
• Exercise – Yoga and 6,000 steps
• Fun – watching the cricket, paracord, audiobooks

Main emotion for Day 11: Tired

Day 12

Creeping closer to the end… Second nose prod today to see if I’m safe to be around people. In a virus sense, not a mental health sense. The latter is definitely a negative after nearly a year of isolation…

Breakfast was my favourite – bacon, hard boiled eggs, sausages and avocado! I ate the last of my sprouts with it. Drum roll for the lunch update. Can you guess what it was? Big surprise – STEAK!! This time with cauliflower, olives and roasted sweet potatoes. I was very uninspired to eat it and didn’t plate it up, but did manage to force it down my throat. Dinner brought a sigh of relief. It was chicken!! With cauliflower, mushrooms and a corn cob.

The COVID test today was way more pleasant than the first. The nurse was much quicker at it so it was all over before I had tears streaming down my cheeks from discomfort. She was very pleasant too, and sincerely thanked me for undergoing quarantine to protect Western Australians. It was such a relief to hear someone acknowledge the difficulty of quarantine and the sacrifice it takes (even if we are legally obliged), and I imagine it does a world of good for some people as the struggle can be at it’s hardest towards the end.

My fingers are raw from working the paracord. I did about 6 hours of solid work today and my first belt is done!

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Day 12 activities included:

• Calls – Mum, Dad
• Domestics – Washed dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier
• Exercise – 6,000 steps
• Fun – Watched a movie with Dad (remotely), paracord, cross stitch, Disney+

Main emotion for Day 12: Unmotivated

Day 13

Negative!!! My COVID test result came in at 8am! If I don’t present symptoms in the next day, I will be freed!!!

Breakfast – ignored in the excitement. Just kidding, I had a smoothie and other liquids. They probably gave me corn flakes but I can’t remember. Lunch was a pretty decent salad with mixed leaves, ham, carrot, cucumber and olives. And… for the grand finale… my last dinner in quarantine was… steak and broccoli!! And to that lovely surprise I said ‘F%£# that’ and used the rest of my Uber Eats voucher to order a Grill’d salad with sweet potato chips. Thank you again, marine geophysics team!! If I had eaten another steak, I would have turned into one.

Since the cricket was over, my main entertainment today was watching IFSC (International Federation of Sports Climbing) competitions that I had missed. The plan was to wear comfy exercise gear while watching it so I felt motivated to work out, and this mental trick worked! I did a double workout!

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I also started packing a little bit… but not too much as to jinx it. And I had a long shower, washed my hair and shaved, so that I could be presentable tomorrow.

Day 13 activities included:

• Calls – Mum and Sis
• Domestics – Washed dishes and put 500ml on re-humidifier, LONG shower
• Exercise – 7,000 steps and a double work out
• Fun – IFSC comps and cross stitch

Main emotion for Day 13: PUMPED!

Day 14 – FREEDOM DAY

No symptoms this morning so the nurse says I’M FREE!! At about 3pm!

Most of this day passed in a haze of excitement and rattled thoughts. I couldn’t wait to hug my Mum and my Sister and enjoy experiencing the world with all my senses fully fed!

Breakfast was a fruit salad with avocado. Lunch was ANOTHER roll so I scrapped it and ate everything out of my drinks cooler.

I must have spent an hour before my release steaming up the window with my breath as I watched the cars and people on the street, waiting for my own people to arrive! Once the minute of our release was reached, they called us down one floor at a time. I’m on floor 6. It went 16, 15, 14, 13, 5 (wtf??), 12, 11 and 10, 9, 8 and 7, 4 and 2 (wait a sec?!), then, finally, 6 and 3!

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Despite the huge wait, I still wasn’t out in a hurry. My bags and boxes were awkward and I needed a trolley, so I was the last on my floor down the elevator (one family group at a time). At the bottom there was a little paperwork to do and then I finally looked towards the doors and saw my Mum waiting for me.

Our hug lasted about 5 minutes. I cried twice. Then I hugged my Sister for almost as long before loading my bags into the car.

Some Food Stats

Now, a quick reminder that the food I received is not the normal tucker for Quarantinees – it was tailored by my hotel to my intolerances. I hear that most hotels provide meals in a weekly rotation so people don’t receive the same meal until 7 days later (other than breakfast). But, given my personal circumstances, here’s a quick reflection on what I received:

• Steak meals = 10 (including three in a row)
• Salmon meals = 6
• Chicken meals = 6
• Ham = 2
• Lamb = 1 (delicious koftas!)
• Broccoli with meals = 14 (including 6 as the only warm vegetable)
• Meals I couldn’t eat any of = 4 (including one that was replaced)
• Meals with an item I couldn’t eat = all of them (I left these out of photos, but most meals came with a GF bread roll and butter and/or a GF DF cake with something funky that hurt my stomach, often dairy milk with my corn flakes, tomatoes in things, etc. but I still had enough safe food or my own supplies to eat)

Even if you don’t have allergies or intolerances, if you don’t like a lot of meat then ask for the vegetarian option. If you don’t like a lot of processed carbs (bread, pasta etc.) then opt for the gluten free.

As a quick last note: quarantinees are being charged about $60 per day for food. Would you willingly pay $60 for cornflakes, hard boiled eggs, one steak with broccoli and one chicken with steamed veg anywhere else?

Advice for Quarantinees

Some of these I picked up from other Quarantinees before me and others I’ve picked up from a year isolated in a room by myself. I hope these help.

Things to pack:

• I don’t officially advise this, but I was personally grateful that I had packed a knife and scissors. Yes, they are contraband, but they cannot legally search your bags on entering (they can only search later deliveries) so this is your only chance if you want to have a knife for preparing food or scissors for crafts.
• Some hotels don’t supply you with plates and crockery, but you can bring your own or ask for them. I highly advise making sure you arrange for some as plating up my food made it a much more normal experience and made me appreciate the food more.
• Pack or arrange for a water filter or plan to buy bottled water if your hotel doesn’t provide it. The water at my hotel tasted disgusting (chorine!) so I wasn’t inclined to drink it when I was thirsty. Buy whatever other tasty liquids you like, but also make sure you have plenty of good drinking water too.
• Diffuser and essential oils. Not only does this help to re-hydrate the air but essential oils are also powerful mood-influences.
• Exercise equipment of some description. Resistance bands or a skipping rope are light and easy to pack, or ask people to drop some off for you. You can also hire exercise bikes and things for the more dedicated sportspeople.
• Hands-on activities or crafts. 14 days of TV, computer games and phone time may seem like heaven, but trust me here – that dry air made looking at screens (and looking at something the same distance for hours) really tiring for my brain and it gets old quickly!
• Take or plan multiple activities to pass the time. Like, maybe 12. You’ll need to swap between a few different things each day to pass the time to avoid monotony killing you (like it almost did me). Try switching up your type of exercise throughout the two weeks, take different crafts, multiple games. Have enough of them that every few days you can do entirely different things.
• If you don’t already have one and if you can, arrange for an Aussie mobile SIM card before you leave. Mine took over 2 weeks to be delivered (that’s the Aussie Post for you these days) but I arranged it in plenty of time so that my family could drop it off on Day 0.

In Quarantine:

• Set up a wet towel somewhere central (and where the water won’t damage anything) to help re-hydrate your room. Not just out-of-the-shower wet, but really wet so it’s almost dripping. Check it every morning and pour water over it to top up.
• Get dressed every day. Even if you remain half naked or wear comfort clothes, just change out of PJ’s in the morning and change back into them at night.
• Have a routine around meals. Decide a time to make your bed, dress, do your dishes, do exercise, switch between activities and whatever else. But also be prepared to break that routine when the monotony sets in.
• Do some exercise. Even if you don’t usually do exercise, do some exercise now! Honestly, it will help in a number of ways. And you don’t have to do much! Just walk around your room (a lot), do some yoga, or have a few 10 min dance sessions each day (the macarena on repeat!). Movement is going to keep you much more sane.
• Drink plenty of water!! That dry air is a b!tch. Aim for 2.5L a day if you can, 1.5L of water and 1L of whatever else takes your fancy.
• If you have access to it, change up your thermostat. Have cooler days and a warmer days, but always reduce the temperature in the evening before bed to help you sleep. Change the fan settings for variety too.
• After my first few days of jetlag, I found it helpful to not close the blackout blinds at night and let the sunlight wake me up. I had a sheer blind for privacy, so only do this if you won’t be revealing too much!
• If you get any direct sunlight, be sure to sunbake!! Aaaahh.
• Arrange for something alive and green to share your room. Honestly, plants and flowers make all the difference.
• Order a supermarket delivery with some treats and (mostly shelf-stable) ingredients to make up a meal or two if you need.
• If you have a drinks cooler instead of a proper fridge, don’t store fresh food in there for long! It really doesn’t do a great job.
• A lot of people recommended facials and baths for some TLC and me-time. This is not my style, but it may be yours.

Adjusting

Tell you what, freedom was a lot more overwhelming than I had anticipated. Mostly overwhelming on the senses. Feeling sensations on my skin, hearing noises, and seeing familiar streets and landscapes so beautifully unique to Perth was all too much to take in after a really stressful year followed by two long weeks of sensory deprivation. I was exhausted by 6pm from the energy of trying to process it all.

After a very solitary year and two weeks without any human contact, people were also overwhelming. I’m an introvert and I like my me-time, but the impacts of the lack of social contact in a COVID society became very evident in my reaction to being in a crowded shop and even being in a room surrounded by family and/or friends.

Christmas was three days after my release and it was a difficult day with 26 people in one house, including a lot of loud kids and adults. I had to semi-hide in a quiet corner and I still couldn’t help randomly bursting into tears while talking to my Aunt (although the tears thing was happening surprisingly often – I have a reputation for never crying in movies but the new Little Women film made me cry five times!).

I hadn’t been home in 1.5 years and four of my close friends (/almost family) had babies in that time, so I had a lot of people to see and catch up with. The week around Christmas exhausted me in every way possible. I was up late spending time with my family, up early just enjoying the warm breeze and knowing my family were nearby, heading to the beach for a morning swim, and then long days of socialising before doing it all again.

It is now early in the New Year and I am only just starting to feel normal and adjusted again (after nearly two weeks). I still can’t believe that I’m home, surrounded my people I love and who love me. I hope I never again have to experience the extreme loneliness, stress, and trauma of 2020 on the opposite side of the world to my family and my support system.

Final Thoughts

My heart goes out to everyone isolated and stuck away from home, including the tens of thousands of Australians stranded overseas without any support. I hope with every ounce of my being that you remain safe, get home soon, and have support at this end to help you adjust to life again.

I also hope that this post helps some people facing hotel quarantine to prepare for the reality of it, especially those who have extensive food intolerances.

It may also offer Australians at home a view into the inglorious and difficult conditions of quarantine. It is not a picnic, nor is it a comfortable escape from life for two weeks with meal service – it is hard! And remember that everyone going through this difficult experience to protect Australians is also paying $2,500-3,000 per person for the privilege (it varies state-to-state) on top of the extortionate cost of flights and the hardships from being stranded overseas. Please look after anyone you know going through this process and respect the mental, emotional and financial struggle they are going through to keep Australians safe.