We have been very lucky so far to be here in Nhulunbuy while many other States have been struggling with lockdown due to covid19. It hasn’t affected us very much while tucked away in this beautiful town but we have been aware that Nhulunbuy is a bio-secure area with a high indigenous population which will be closed to the rest of Australia if there are covid cases in other parts of the Northern Territory. The Central Arnhem Road (aka ‘the track’) is the only way in or out of Gove other than by plane and it would be closed. That hasn’t happened while we have been here but twice it has come close.

Just after Nic and Don arrived for a visit, Nic got word that his father in law had passed away unexpectedly. This was the day after I lost my friend, Janine. We both wanted to return to WA for the funerals but getting into WA proved very difficult. Because both Cairns and Brisbane were locked down, the flights to Perth via Darwin were very few and very expensive. In the end, neither of us was able to go. However, Nic’s father-in-law’s funeral was postponed for two weeks to allow him to get home. Even then it was a nightmare for him to get back into Western Australia. It took him (and his dad) several attempts to have their G2G forms accepted. Their first few applications to cross the border were rejected, even though they been in no covid hotspots. When they were finally allowed to go back into WA, they packed up and left. But when they reached the WA border, they sat in a queue of cars for EIGHT HOURS. Despite having the correct paperwork, they were told to turn around, have a covid test and isolate in accommodation between Kununurra and Broome until they had their results. Of course, all accommodation was booked out so they had to ring around to find anyone who had friends in that area. Until they could provide an address, they could not leave the border. Eventually they had their tests and found an address to go to.

I’m well aware that, while frustrating, this is nothing compared to what those in other states and countries have had to cope with.

Our time here is drawing to a close. We have extended our stay a couple of times when Kyran and Vanessa have both been working and we have stayed to help look after Tommy. At this stage, we plan to drive out of Nhulunbuy on 7 September. We intend to spend a month or more exploring the rest of the Northern Territory including Katherine, Lichfield, Kakadu, Darwin and Alice Springs. We will then decide where we will go from there. With Vanessa’s baby due early in November, I wouldn’t be sad if we came back here for another visit!

The original plan was a lap of Australia but, with New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria closed at the moment due to the virus, and Queensland and South Australia on restrictions, who knows where we will end up. It might even be impossible to get back into Western Australia. Everything is changing from one day to the next.

Interesting time to be travelling, indeed.