Quarantine, days 0-3

Day 0: Arrival

We arrived at Howard Springs at about 7 pm. After everyone had been processed (including filling out forms and having our temperatures taken) we were escorted to our rooms and given dinner. I decided to only unpack what I needed to for now, to give me something to do the next day.

View of Darwin

Day 1: Settling in

Breakfast arrived on schedule at 8:00, followed by another temperature check. I unpacked the things I was anticipating using during quarantine and re-packed the rest. The room isn't overly large, and the amount of stuff I have is sufficient for a 6-month stay, including my keyboard. Thankfully I was allowed to bring it to the room.

Rob and Catharina had flown out from Dili on 2 Dec, so they were on day 10 of their quarantine. We had a good time catching up, and somehow they managed to rope us into a pairs running challenge, making the most of the exercise opportunities that are on offer. They had measured out a loop that was 330 m, which we would each run with our partner in a relay for 16 laps (to make 5 km each).

Runners at the ready

Day 2: Sunday for rest

I had made a plan for how I would spend my quarantine time, in the light of the annual leave I had applied for. Days 1 & 2 were Saturday and Sunday, so I would use those as a break before taking a leisurely approach to working Mon-Fri. I started out with some puzzles, playing two-pack solitaire, and logging in to Tablelands Presbyterian's live stream service as usual. Two more weeks and I will be back in person!

We were also all subject to the first of two Covid tests (the second will be conducted on day 10 or 11). Although it was uncomfortable, it was over quickly and was not as bad as the one I had in Mareeba prior to going to Timor.

In the evening I was able to carry my keyboard to a picnic area where there was an outdoor power outlet, and we had an impromptu carol singing session!

Covid test...

Day 3: Working

I managed to make quite a bit of progress on some work-related things today, which I was mildly surprised about. The first was preparing some lesson plans for the flight radio sessions that are part of the RPL course. The second was putting together my feedback about my time in Timor-Leste (which also included about 4 hours of video calls with various people)...

In the evening I joined Rob and Catharina for their daily exercise - just walking this time.

Bedroom by night, office by day

To be continued...