In this time of crisis and uncertainty, I thought I might share some of our personal trials and blessings over the past couple of weeks. While you may not relate to the specific details of our situation, I strongly believe it’s just a snapshot of the kind of things that are happening in the lives of your families, friends and colleagues right now.
This blog is a bit different from my usual postings – in particular, it’s all true. It’s a bit long, so continue reading if you’re interested.
As some of you may know, we travel to Canada around the middle of each year to spend some of the northern summer vacation with our daughter, her husband and our two Canadian grandchildren. Late last year, we decided that we’d change things around in 2020, and visit for the March spring break instead. So, here’s how it went down.
Friday 13 March – we fly Air New Zealand from Brisbane to Vancouver, via Auckland. Due to the time change, we arrive in Vancouver mid-afternoon that same day.
Sunday 15 March – Prime Minister Trudeau announces that the Canadian border is now closed to everyone but citizens and permanent residents of Canada – Miracle number 1 – we’re not affected because we are already in the country.
Monday 16 March – Air NZ advises they are cancelling most of their international flights, including all flights from Vancouver, from 30 March (our return flight is scheduled on 2 April). Their website says they’re working through many thousands of cancelled flights – so don’t call unless your flight is in the next 48 hours.
Wednesday evening 18 March – Nanette has a life-threatening medical incident (severe anaphylactic shock due to unknown mystery cause). 911 call. Ambulance to emergency. Miracle number 3 – fantastic help from the incredible Canadian medical system (picture below). Discharged home exhausted, but fully recovered, at 3AM.
Thursday 19 March – The New Zealand government announces its borders are closed to everyone but Kiwis and Pacific Islanders. Miracle number 2 – their website suggests we should still be ok to transit in Auckland on our way home, as long as we don’t leave the airport.
Friday morning 20 March – Still no advice about our flight options so we decide to call Air NZ and join the queue. After two and a half hours on hold, a helpful lady comes on the line. She’s seconded from admin to help the overloaded travel staff, so she takes our details and promises someone will call us back “in a couple of hours”.
Saturday night 21 March – Miracle number 4 – Air NZ finally calls back and, to our relief, say they’ve found us seats on the Monday 23 March flight.
Monday 23 March – We expect extra delays at Vancouver airport, so we arrive very early. Air NZ check-in is already open and crowded with twenty-somethings trying to get home from the snowfields. We’re directed to a special lane as the check-in staff must get phone clearance from New Zealand immigration for each individual Australian traveller intending to transit in Auckland. We’re a bit concerned, because it’s only been ten days since our last international flight – Miracle number 5 – after half an hour, the lady finally gets advice we’re approved to travel.
Reasonably quick passage through the only security scanning lane that’s working, then into an eerie departures area. All shops are closed. There’s a smattering of travellers in masks (us included) and even a few people wearing full haz-mat suits (I kid you not), but perhaps the biggest surprise is the non-masked, non-socially distanced clusters of snowboarders, all complaining about the huge charges they had to pay for their excess baggage.
Wednesday 25 March – Arrive in Auckland 4:45AM local time. It’s Wednesday because we lost a day crossing the dateline. Compulsory testing by local nurses to see if we can be allowed into the international transit area – we both pass the temperature check, even though we power walked from the far distant landing gate. The electronic board shows a heap of cancelled flights but – Miracle number 6 – our flight to Brisbane is still listed as scheduled.
Arrive in Brisbane at 9:00 AM local time, greatly relieved to be back on Australian soil – Maybe it’s not a miracle, but we feel really blessed that good friends offered to drive from Toowoomba in two cars to collect us. That’s a four-hour round trip for them just so we can start our self-isolation on the drive home.
To wrap up the story, when we arrive home a couple of hours later – there’s another blessing. Other good friends have made the trip to the supermarket for us, so the fridge is stocked and extra groceries are sitting on the shelf.
So, that’s our story. I know your story may be different, but pray that you’ll be ok as we all go through these tough times.
LamondG 
I thank God for you both and His miracles.
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