So, having booked the car and most of the accommodation, packed our bags, got everything ready, dropped the dog next door, I got a call from a blocked number.
I always ignore these, usually spam but they called again so I answered it.
Just as well I did, it was the WA police telling me because we were transiting in Sydney we wouldn’t be allowed into WA and our travel permit is about to be denied.
We had assumed that staying in the airport would be ok and that Qantas wouldn’t have allowed us to book the flight. Nope.
So we had to cancel the original flight, then book one via Adelaide and reapply for the travel permit to WA. Which we managed to do.
However, we don’t have a permit to go through Adelaide so may get turned back at the airport. We applied for one but didn’t get it approved in time.
At the airport, checked in ok, they didn’t ask to see the travel permit. So we’re on – we’re actually going on a flight, the first in 2 years.
Hopefully when we get to Adelaide they won’t ask for the permit since we’re not leaving the airport, or it might come through while we’re in the air.
The WA one was instantly approved, then they must review them later, hence the phone call.
Got to the airport, a bit surreal – quite a few people around. We went to the gate, other flights leaving from the same area, busier than I expected.
Our bags were overweight so had to pay $65 to Jetstar – having not travelled domestic for a number of years didn’t realise how picky they were.
We finally boarded the plane, put our bags away – we’re on our way!
Checked my phone – WA announced that Victoria had just been declared a low-risk area, which meant anyone travelling from Victoria would need to quarantine for 14 days on arrival, effective immediately. Which meant us. I asked the flight attendant if we could get off the plane – the door was still open. She didn’t know, needed to ask her manager. After a bit of discussion, we were allowed to get off.
I suspect since the flight went through Adelaide we could probably just turn around there, and the news the next day spoke about a flight that landed 15 minutes after the announcment and people were allowed to return to Melbourne.
So that was our holiday and flight – a trip to the airport and we got to sit on a plane for 5 minutes.
Not sure what we are going to do from here – just day trips I suspect, until the inevitable lockdown where we can’t go anywhere again.