Our journey to Australia started last week. Tickets booked, bags packed, almost out the door to Seatac and immigration attorney calls to inform us that Mark's travel exemption had not come thru. Postponed departure another week and had wonderful thanksgiving with Max.
Seatac was very empty. So empty our flight attendants for the United leg to SF didn't show. So a mad dash to catch Alaska on N terminal. They unloaded our 4 bags and shuttled them over just in time. SF airport was eerily quite which was a good thing so we can get domestic to international in time. The departure gate to Sydney was very quiet, only 30 people boarding.
During the flight they handed out Australian information regarding quarantine. Half page was how to deal with mental health challenges of being stuck in a room for 14 days. Arriving in Sydney they announced we would wait at the gate until government officials escorted us thru customs which can take up to an hour. We were lucky and went right in. Health screening was ear temperature and nurse consult. Everyone super friendly. Typical trip thru customs and then we all waited together for our bus transport. They just divided us up into buses which went to different hotels. We drew a lucky card and went downtown to an apartment hotel and was able to upgrade to one-bedroom with balcony. On the route our bus was escorted by police motorcycles with their blue lights flashing. Military officers handled our luggage and escorted us to our rooms.
Food arrives three times a day in paper bags outside our door. We don't order, it just arrives, no one is ever there to thank. Duty free was not open at either end of the trip so no scotch was picked up. Mark found a delivery app for liquor.
This was our DAY ZERO. 14 days to go.
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