Explore with Fran

Falling like dominoes

My fingers hovered nervously above the keyboard. As international borders started closing like the falling of dominoes, putting a hold on our long planned for dream trip around the world, Australia’s internal borders were closing in around us. Our options were getting shorter by the hour.

Fuelled by the champagne we had drowned our sorrows in, we rapidly made a plan b. Or was that plan c, or even plan d? I had lost count by this point. Scanning the Qantas app we found 2 seats available, flying out of Sydney the day after. What did we have to lose? All our possessions were in storage. We had nowhere to live, having vacated our apartment. And we had no jobs.

So it was that just 24 hours later we found ourselves settling into an Air BnB some 3,900kms away. Perth was to be where we would spend the next chapter of our lives, a chapter we didn’t know the length of. To be honest, a chapter we still don’t know the length of. What follows is the highlights of our 365 days in Perth.

We were to be sandgropers for the foreseeable future. We had a new mantra to learn, “west is best”, something the proud residents of Western Australia would not let us forget.

March 2020

Arriving in late March, we had booked ourselves into an Air BnB for the week, just to find our feet. We were to end up staying at three different places over the first 3 weeks. With the COVID restrictions we had to self cater and only treat ourselves to a takeaway once a week. It did feel very strange not being able to sit in for breakfast, lunch or dinner but many cafes and restaurants did a great job in switching their business models at very short notice. The word of the moment was “pivot”. There was a very noticeable increase of Uber delivery cyclists up and down the streets of Perth. 

To be honest, I thought the Perth chapter was going to be very temporary. So we were keeping a close eye on our travel funds. I resisted even looking at what jobs were available. Why would I want a job when I would shortly be off travelling the world?

Thankfully, one of us is pragmatic and before long I was convinced that I needed to pivot. I started putting my toe in the water to see what was out there. And it wasn’t pretty. COVID had emptied city centre office blocks and with the uncertainty, many organisations had put a hold on recruitment. Through this time I got some tremendous support from various people. People who I didn’t previously know that well. That said, there was a point where I was looking in the windows of bike shops wondering which trusty steed would carry me and a large Uber food delivery bag. That would have been the pivot of all pivots.

April 2020

Still without a job, we managed to secure our first rental property. A 2 bedroom furnished apartment in East Perth. A great location by the Swan River which allowed us to keep up our regular exercise, running around Optus Stadium, whilst we couldn’t afford a gym membership.

As I continued to try and find work, I was using the down time to catch up on some books that had so far eluded me. I managed to read Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom” with a deeper connection, as last year we had visited Robben Island where he was incarcerated for 18 years of his 27 year sentence. George Eliot’s “Middlemarch” was another massive tome that I finally finished with a sense of achievement and enjoyment at the stories she (Mary Ann Evans) weaved.

May 2020

It was with great relief that one of us finally got a job. Victoria started bringing home the bacon with her first job in Perth. No, she didn’t become a butcher! It’s a metaphor. Never mind.

With some money coming in, and the easing of COVID restrictions, we finally managed to start eating out again. Our first “proper” night out was at Balthazar restaurant in the city. And what a fabulous meal. With a great bottle of red it was a real reminder of what it means to have these experiences in our lives.

I kept myself busy by studying and passing the exam for the Level 1 wine exam with WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust). I found this very enjoyable and appreciated the deeper connection I have with wine through knowing more about its history and the different wine regions of the world. 

June 2020

Hurrah! I got a job. And a good one. I started working at Synergy as a team coach, on a 6 month contract. My early days were all worked remotely, as was the interview and onboarding process, but it wasn’t long before we were allowed back into the office. It was good to once again have some semblance of normality to hold on to.

And talking of normality, with two incomes now coming into the house we upped the occasions we treat ourselves to meals out at restaurants. The food scene is very good in Perth and it wasn’t long before we started creating a list of places we wanted to visit. The list continues to grow.

July 2020

July heralded a massive milestone with Victoria becoming an Australian citizen. Unfortunately no guests were allowed into the ceremony so whilst I couldn’t witness the actual moment, I was waiting patiently outside to whisk her off for champagne and a celebratory curry.

On the self development front I trained and became a Mental Health First Aider. This is a topic that I feel is so important that the more people we can train, the better the world will be. Thankfully, the stigma of talking about mental health does seem to be lifting a little and I will continue to do my piece, however small.

Regular readers of the blog will know that this time of year always brings “Xmas in July”. This is an event often celebrated by expats in Australia. As July is the “coldest” month of winter, we dig out our xmas jumpers and celebrate the festive season. A good excuse for a big xmas lunch. This year we celebrated at Durty Nelly’s Irish bar in the city.

Having not visited for a while, it was time to have a weekend away to Margaret River. Three days in a region that will forever be my happy place was topped off with an excellent lunch at the ever reliable Rustico restaurant at Hay Shed Hill winery.

August 2020

Imagine the joy I felt when I realised I lived on the doorstep of a whiskey distillery. Whipper Snapper, Perth’s urban whiskey distillery in fact. I wrote about it here. We had a tour and with only one of us enjoying whiskey it turned out to be a great day for me.

One thing we both enjoy is high tea. You may have seen my search for Sydney’s best high tea. This time we were trying out the delights at the Lobby Lounge bar at Crown Towers. I am pleased to report that Perth has a strong high tea game.

Hiring a car for the weekend we headed up to the Edge Retreat for a staycation in Lower Chittering, a short drive from the city. This truly was off grid, with the eco property built right on the edge of a bluff so that it appeared to be at “the end of the world”. 

September 2020

September saw us once again making the short journey to the Margaret River region, this time staying at the “Tack Room” in Cowaramup. Another great find on Air BnB. As well as the beautiful farm we were staying on our host also had a house in Cornwall. Find me two better locations in the world. I’ll wait…

You may know of my love for burgers. You may also know of the “best burger” spreadsheet I have. I may have to retire the spreadsheet as we found quite possibly the best cheeseburger ever, at the Old Faithful in the city. Just look at this beauty.

On the subject of food (I am never far away from it), we had a visit to the historic Rose and Crown in Guildford. Reported to be the oldest operating pub in WA, they do some of the best Sunday lunches on the planet.

On the professional front I completed Level 1 of my Organisational Coaching course. This was an intense 3 day Zoom workshop. And still. it was highly engaging, and more energising than I expected.

October 2020

The staycations continued in October with our first stay at the Ritz-Carlton, located in the revitalised Elizabeth Quay. The views over the Swan River were almost as exquisite as the food we had for dinner at the in house restaurant, “Hearth”.

In very exciting news we moved into the new house, in the vibrant suburb of Mt Hawthorn, a short distance from the city. Moving from apartment living, to a house for the first time in over 10 years. We now have a front and back garden to chill in on long, lazy Sunday afternoons. 

After a busy day of moving in we found a local curry house and had a great evening talking about the plans we wanted to make for this exciting chapter.

Moving onwards and upwards, Victoria started a new role at HBF, the largest health fund provider in the west. The bacon was upgraded to gammon.

November 2020

Year round, Perth often has festivals and events happening across the city. The start of November saw us heading over to South Perth in the rain for our first “Beer and beef” festival, a combination we could not miss. Despite the rain there was a good turn out and we got to sample some great beers to go with the mouth watering Tony Roma ribs.

Needing a staycation we jumped on the train to the port city of Fremantle. We spent a night at the very European looking Port Mill bed and breakfast. Dinner saw us moving across the world to Asia and we had a delightful tasting menu at Tonic & Ginger. Somewhere we are certain to return to.

Margaret River was again on the agenda to celebrate Victoria’s birthday. A private wine tour with Grape Escape had us checking off some more of the over 200 wineries in the region. 

December 2020

December brings summer and a close down of most workplaces as people take an extended Xmas break. We took the opportunity for an epic 2 week road trip from Perth all the way up to Exmouth and back. Something I wrote about here.

It is these kinds of trips that really bring home how big this vast country is. We were often driving for hours on seemingly empty roads. With nothing but red sand and scrub all around us. The occasional road train thunders past, snapping you out of your reverie.

Rottnest Island, just off the coast of Perth used to be the Butlins of Western Australia. No more, with the arrival of the new luxury beach retreat, Samphire. We decided to check it out, spending two nights by the sea. In between lazing around the pool we also took out e-bikes to explore the island, saying hello to the many quokkas that call Rottnest home.

On the work front I must have been doing something right as I was asked to extend my contract for a further 6 months.

January 2021

We had our first real lockdown. A COVID case in the community sent shockwaves through a Perth community that had become very complacent over the last 12 months. The Premier, big dog McGowan, with an election on the horizon, took a very tough stance and enforced a 6 day full lockdown, with the introduction of mandatory masks if you ventured outside the home for one of the official four reasons.

Thankfully, we still managed to have a trip to Margaret River before the lockdown hit. We stayed in a new part of the region for us, a little further south in the charming village of Witchcliffe. The highlight of this trip was the world class lunch at Leeuwin Estate.

February 2021

Thankfully, Perth pulled together, and the COVID case proved to be an isolated incident. With no further community transmission our restrictions were lifted, and less than 2 weeks later we were living the life we had before the snap restrictions.

And with that it was time for another high tea. This one a little different. A cheese and champagne high tea at the Crown Towers resort. Baked Brie was amongst the cheeses that accompanied our flight of champagnes. Decadent? Yes. Enjoyable? Absolutely.

For the first time in a year we once again stepped foot in an airport, and flew to Broome for a holiday at the Cable Beach Club. The whole experience was different to any travel we had previously done. Have a read of our experience here.

March 2021

Closer to home, and without the need for a flight, we had a 2 night staycation at the QT Hotel in the Perth CBD. This was to be the first of two staycations in March, with us also spending a night, finally, at Crown Towers, home of three hotels and Perth’s casino. 

We also managed to catch a movie under the stars, just before they ended for the season. It is a great experience, laid under the night sky, on a bean bag, sipping chilled white wine and watching a film.

Professionally, I decided to take my learning to the next level. Having logged well over the mandatory 20 hours of professional coaching, I embarked on level 2 of the organisational coaching course with the Institute of Executive Coaches and Leaders. If you are ever interested to hear more about coaching, and how you can benefit from it, give me a shout.

What is the next chapter?

One year ago we could never have predicted what life had in store for us. Reflecting on our achievements I am proud of us as a couple on what we have achieved. Through adversity, and in a new city, we have adapted to our new surroundings and thrived. 

We have explored so much of the vast state of Western Australia, and really got a look at Perth as a city to live in. A very liveable city. A city that continues to expand, with new bars seemingly opening up every second week. The village where we live is so vibrant, with a large Italian population. The weekend just gone we visited an Italian Street Market, which could have been a square in Naples.

As we enter our second year here on the west coast, again we can only speculate what the next 365 days will hold for us. Much as we felt a year ago, we very much hope that global travel becomes top of the agenda. Either way, we will keep you posted.

Up in the air

I heard the once familiar chime reminding us that seat belts could now be removed. We could walk about the cabin. Currently in the air, somewhere high above the vast expanse of Western Australia, we are in something called an airplane. If you are not familiar with such a contraption, they are jet propelled machines that convey people across the skies, across large distances.

Today we are being conveyed from Perth to the tourist destination of Broome, some 2,224 kilometres away. 22 hours had we chosen to drive. A more palatable 2 hours 50 minutes by the magic of airplane. Originally a pearling town, Broome has made itself into a tourist mecca, and pearls are never far away, judging by the number of tourists I saw wearing them.

Destination Broome

Broome is not the only thing to have changed a lot. Air travel is almost unrecognisable since we last experienced it over 12 months ago. Airports bereft of excited travellers, and children charging ahead of tired parents. People mindlessly spending money on sunglasses they probably don’t need. Another bottle of perfume to add to the dozen or so that hide below the bathroom sink in cupboards that haven’t been opened since your last holiday. 

Terminal 1 at Perth Domestic Airport offered no such temptation today. Most stores were closed. No last minute electronics, or bottles of single malt whisky for me. Even visiting the business class lounge made me feel that I was at the tail end of some apocalypse. Shelves stripped bare of magazines. A scarce selection of pre-prepared food served behind barriers only accessible to the lounge staff, who must be glad of having something to do. The lounge was no longer a place that encouraged lounging.

And so we found ourselves masking up and boarding an aeroplane for the first time in 12 months. The first time where masks in both the airport, and on the planes, are mandatory. We were going to spend the short flight in business class. Not nearly as impressive as it sounds. Things have changed. Oh haven’t they just.

Business Class without the class

No sparkling wine. What is business class without that first glass of bubbles? Somehow harking back to a more glamorous era, it is almost worth the cost of the upgrade. Sitting and relaxing with a glass of bubbles, smugly watching everyone else file past on the way to their economy class seats. But not today. Our choice was a simple one. Red or white wine. Served in a plastic cup. Horror of horrors. Quite different to our last business class adventure.

Talking of horrors, then there was the food. Or, there wasn’t. The in flight meal has been replaced with a snack box. Literally, a snack. In a box. A tiny, dinky, little cardboard box. I do wonder how airlines can keep enticing customers to pay the often exorbitant cost of flying business class when the points of differentiation from economy are so reduced.

The “luxury” of boarding first, and a slightly bigger seat may no longer cut the mustard. Slabs of processed cheese in little, hard to open, plastic wrappers certainly won’t. I will watch with interest, as vaccines start to roll out across the world, and confidence regarding travel increases, as to how the business class offering evolves. Or doesn’t. 

Economising

On the return flight we opted to fly economy, fully expecting to get the same cardboard box and a plastic cup of wine. We were to be surprised. And not in a good way. Somehow, COVID has resulted in alcohol no longer being offered in economy. Something that truly baffles me. Where is the increased risk just because you are sitting beyond the first four rows in the airplane? Can COVID not breach business class?

And Virgin has always offered a meal option on domestic flights. Today this meal comprised either a sweet or savoury snack. That was it. That was the “meal”. I opted for savoury, my mouth watering in anticipation of the meat pie I expected to receive. Would they have tomato ketchup, I wondered.

As the wheels of the trolley arrived at our seat, and I was handed my savoury snack, I was immensely disappointed to note that it was a bag of chickpeas. Chickpeas! Served with a plastic cup of apple juice. I kid you not. People in prisons get larger meals. Not that I am comparing flying Virgin with being in prison but the whole experience was very underwhelming.

The Popularity of Travel

And despite the inconveniences of mandatory mask wearing. Having to drink out of plastic cups. And no extra pair of sunglasses to gather dust in your drawers. People still want to travel. Our flight was almost full, both heading up to Broome, and coming home. 

Despite a lot of what I read, confidence in air travel remains high. I remain convinced that the air industry is going to bounce back stronger than ever. As more people across the globe get vaccinated, as more countries start opening up their borders for overseas tourists, I believe that the “holiday at home” mantra will become a relic of the past, hopefully along with those pesky little snack boxes.

Thursday, 4th February, 2021

The Premier’s press conference brought good news. Day 4 of the lockdown and day 4 of zero cases. Yet another “doughnut day”, as was yesterday. The number of people getting tested has dropped to just over 7,000 with a call for as many people who are feeling symptoms to go and get tested.

Scraping the barrel for news

By now, I am scraping the barrel of what to update you on. Pottering from room to room soon loses its lustre. The most exciting thing that happened was the ramen noodle bowl I had for lunch. Priced at $1.50 each, I bought two in Woolworths, but am not sure I will be able to eat the second. My mouth still feels on fire hours after I had it for lunch. When it says “hot” on the side I didn’t think this meant, “blow your head off”, hot.

The evening got a little more interesting, with another press conference from the Premier. The good news is that “subject to no new cases overnight” we are on track to come out of lockdown. Businesses are now on alert and ready to throw open their doors to a very eager public.

Friday, 5th February, 2021

Day 5 of the lockdown. And to be honest, it has been ok. Working from home again, which was easy enough to adapt to, after the experience of the last year. When I reflect on the week, one thing I have been mindfully aware of is, I have felt an increase in cognitive fatigue. The impact of constant video calls does take its toll mentally and I have been sharing some hints and tips with work on how we might better manage this.

The good news

Today’s press conference from the Premier was almost on time, unlike earlier in the week when we had quite lengthy delays. To me that suggests that the issues are getting clearer and this was borne out by the update from Mark McGowan today.

Once again, we have zero local transmission cases of COVID from 8307 tests. We have achieved our goal, and the big dog confirmed that this means that we will transition out of lockdown from 6pm this evening. Great news for the whole of Perth, Peel, and the South West region. I had to smile when the Premier was asked where he would be at 6pm. “At my desk, probably”, was his quick response.

Transition Measures

Yesterday I hinted at the transition measures that might remain and we now know what these will be. Once the lockdown lifts at 6pm, and until Sunday 14th February, mask wearing outside remains mandatory. Even when we are in gyms, pubs, cafes, and bars. When asked how people could be expected to wear a mask whilst enjoying a meal, the official advice is “use common sense”.

We will also see a brief introduction of the 4sq metre rule for numbers of people allowed on business premises. This will have a large impact on small businesses that just don’t have the room to make that viable. Thankfully it is only for a week.

Lunch update

Being Friday, we decided to treat ourselves to lunch from an excellent local Indonesian cafe, Chinta. I am very pleased to report that the “express lunch” takeaway offering of Nasi Goreng was much better than yesterday’s budget noodles.

Today, we heard that the bushfires claimed 5 more houses overnight but in better news the fires do seem to be coming under control through the tireless work of the firies. Let’s hope this good news continues through the weekend. With heavy rain forecast for Saturday and Sunday things should only get better.

As the clock ticks around to 6pm I can already see increased foot traffic outside. I can sense the anticipation. People must be heading to the village and the re-opened restaurants. We will just have a chilled evening at home but will raise a glass to all West Australians who have come together this week and collectively got us through this.

Cheers, fellow sandgropers!

Wednesday, 3rd February, 2021

Hello again my friends, and welcome to the Perth lockdown diaries for Wednesday. You can catch up on days 1 and 2 here. Read along as we navigate the snap lockdown in Perth.

Groundhog Day

For those of you that have been in lockdown for a long time, what does it feel like? Seriously, what are you doing to stay sane? Please share your tips and advice. We are in day 3 and already it is starting to feel like groundhog day. I can only imagine what you must be feeling after an extended period.

In today’s press conference, we got more good news from the Premier. Big Dog McGowan told us that there had been in excess of 12,000 COVID tests, which resulted in another day of zero local transmission. Another doughnut day. The sceptical amongst you may be wondering how this is even possible. 

Patient 903

Patient 903, which is what the government is now affectionately calling the hotel security guard that triggered the lockdown, was in close contact with quite a lot of people. From the contact tracing we can see that he had also visited many locations. He seems to be partial to KFC. And he has the UK variant which we are told is much more highly transmissible than other variants. Yet, all the close and casual contacts are currently returning negative COVID test results. It is a mystery. But a happy one for the people of Perth.

The new normal, again

Whilst we keep getting “doughnut days”, the Premier says that we will come out of lockdown as planned at 6pm on Friday. Interestingly, the narrative is subtly changing with talk now of not returning to the normality we had, prior to last Sunday, but to a normal that includes new COVID restrictions. We wait with anticipation to hear what these restrictions are.

The bushfires continue to rage across parts of Perth and thankfully there has been no loss of life. This is in large part thanks to the extraordinary job the emergency services are doing. The firies continue to work relentlessly, with assistance from the east coast who have flown over additional aerial tankers for dousing the flames. Sadly, the number of properties lost to the fires has jumped up to 81. We pray for good weather conditions overnight and that the situation starts to improve.

In more positive news, the wine remains in the bottle and my willpower continues to hold out. Two more days of lockdown. We can, and will, do this.

We were chatting yesterday about the abrupt shift to lockdown in Perth, and how we have had to adapt to a new situation. Again. The new, new, normal? Or just something different for a short while? Time will tell, but these bloody masks are uncomfortable. The current Perth lockdown runs through to Friday at 6pm, COVID situation permitting, and this is the story of days 1 and 2.

Monday, 1st February, 2021

Pinch, punch, first of the month. February already. Wasn’t it just Xmas? The start of the week is always a work from home day for me. For months we have both been working a mix of the office and at home, and Monday always finds me easing into the working week from the comfort of home. So in many respects the day started normal. Hybrid normal.

The first signs of anything being different, as well as us having to put our masks on to leave the house, was when the local coffee shop refused to take my reusable coffee cup. Back to paper cups from the cafe for the next week. Small sacrifices and I am grateful that the cafes are remaining open for takeaway so I am able to pick up a coffee as I get my daily exercise.

Exercising in lockdown

In keeping with lockdowns that have happened across the world, we are able to leave home for only four specific reasons. Exercise is one of those reasons and we are doing our best to make sure we take advantage of the allotted 1 hour by taking extended walks through the neighbourhood.

As the gym is closed for the week we are also adding some mat work at home. A short burst of core work for the abdominals, and a yoga class to keep our bodies moving. We are currently using the “Glo” app which is proving to be excellent. Thousands of classes spanning yoga, pilates, and meditation. I would highly recommend it if you are looking to add to your self care routine at home.

Laid on my yoga mat, staring at the large collection of wine in the kitchen is sending subliminal messages to my brain. But, Monday is an alcohol free day, so I must resist. I must.

Tuesday, 2nd February, 2021

Day 2 of lockdown and I am pleased to report that we did resist the wine. A small win for us.

Bush Fires

The day started with the unmistakable smell of smoke. The bush fires north of Perth have doubled overnight with the changing weather conditions. The update from the Premier tells us that 56 houses have so far been destroyed by the raging fires. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.

This means the government is currently fighting two emergencies side by side. Following the bush fire update at Mark McGowan’s morning press conference, he then went on to give a COVID19 update that provided a first glimmer of hope.

Testing Times

There were over 16,000 COVID19 tests done across Perth yesterday and for the second consecutive day we have zero new cases of local transmission of the virus. We saw first hand just how long people are waiting for the tests to be done as the cars were queuing around the block from the nearby testing centre. Queues of up to 6 hours had been reported at some testing centres.

Contact tracing continues for the hotel security guard that has triggered this 5 day lockdown. There is an ongoing investigation into how the virus managed to leave the hotel and early findings suggest that the security guard had delivered medicine to the room of a person who was quarantining in the hotel, and who had tested positive for COVID19.

Mental Fatigue

For the last few months I have been in the office on Tuesdays, as had the majority of my colleagues. It was a little strange once again transitioning from a large, in person meeting, to all being remote and on a video call. You will have no doubt read of the impact of mental fatigue from the various video technologies, and how the brain reacts in a specific way to seeing yourself and your colleagues on a little screen all day. This is how I am starting to feel again after only two days of being back to full remote. I know many of you still haven’t returned to the office from the initial outbreak of COVID and I can only imagine how you must be feeling.

I am taking a slightly early mark today, switching the video off, and reverting to analogue for a while. I need to recharge my brain.

The second full day of lockdown ended and the wine is still trying to tempt me to the dark side. In the remaining days of lockdown, what will go first, my willpower or the wine?

Sunday, 31 January 2021

The news came through as we were preparing for our second attempt to get out on the Swan River. Bought in December as a birthday gift, we had turned up at Mayland’s jetty to take ourselves boating, courtesy of Nauti Picnics. Self piloted boats that you can take out without a boat licence.

Just as we arrived at the jetty on that clear December day, the heavens opened, the wind suddenly became cyclonic, and it became very clear, very quickly that we wouldn’t be boating any time soon. Drenched, in t-shirts and shorts, with the cardboard box holding our picnic quickly collapsing, we ordered an Uber and headed home.

Take two. We had booked for today and both smiled outwardly when we woke to glorious blue skies and not a whisper of a wind. Once again, the picnic was booked for 1.30pm from the excellent Chinta cafe, and we were almost ready to set off when the phone rang.

Best Laid Plans

Judging by Victoria’s expression, and the way the conversation seemed to be going, I sensed immediately that something was awry. I couldn’t have predicted what was to transpire, yet now, the inevitability of it all is starting to sink in.

After 10 months of no community transmission in West Australia, we now have our first new case of COVID19 that is not safely contained in a quarantine hotel. In fact, it has somehow escaped from one of these dedicated hotels, with a hotel worker testing positive for COVID19 overnight.

You could never accuse our Premier of being faint hearted and in a midday press conference he announced that the whole of Perth would enter a full lockdown from 6pm. Lasting for 5 days, it would run through to next Friday at 6pm. Perfect timing to celebrate with a pint in the local pub if you ask me. I am not sure Mark McGowan is feeling quite as confident.

Toilet Roll Tales

Rather predictably, but a sad indictment of how humanity sometimes behaves, panic buying immediately ensued. The queues for Woolworths were like we had seen in the first throes of the pandemic, back in March last year. What do people do with all that toilet roll?

Rather more pressing for us, as we had done our big shop that morning and had already bought toilet roll for the week, we needed to buy a couple of face masks as they had been made mandatory for the lockdown period. The first time this has happened in Perth.

Both local pharmacies had sold out, and there was no chance of us getting into Woolworths any time soon. Without a mask we would be unable to leave the house for my morning coffee, or for the designated 1 hour daily exercise. This was one occasion that social media proved useful. A member of a local Facebook group indicated quite late in the evening that the local IGA now had some in stock. I have never changed out of my pyjamas as fast, and by 9pm we had a supply of masks, albeit at an exorbitant mark up. 

What Happens Next?

We had negotiated the start of the lockdown, but what would the rest of the week bring, we wondered?