COVID-19 has officially wreaked havoc. When I flew from Bangkok to Gold Coast last week a device was held to my forehead to see if I had a fever, and at Australian immigration I was asked if I've recently been to China, South Korea, Iran, or Italy. The flight was so packed I nearly said "corona-what?" when thinking of COVID-19. From the Gold Coast I was on my way up to Jo's place.
Since then the shit has hit the fan; COVID-19 has altered many things. Australia's borders are closed. There are currently no scheduled flights and no way in or out. Even all the state borders are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For now my travels have come to a grinding halt. After a couple of nights or so at Jo's I planned to either head south to Melbourne or north to the Whitsundays but it's all out the window for now.
At Jo's it's what I call the "gastronomic capital of the bush." Tonight we feasted on beef bulgogi and last week I had roast lamb. Another night we had corned beef and cabbage and yet another we had schnitzel topped with gravy and a side of mashed potato, pumpkin, and peas. For the foreseeable future I'll be here, eating well, and with the odd bit of wine. There are always all sorts of little jobs to do here so I'm never truly bored. Personally, I feel safer here than in a big city.
For the forseeable future I'll be here at Jo's place. I love Australia, and I can't think of a better place to be stranded.
