Upon arrival into Australia, all passengers have to go into a mandatory two-week quarantine arranged by the state governments at the travellers expense. This is important to note as the rules seem to differ slightly state to state.

 Once I had cleared customs (and managed to keep my Chevre and fresh lavender) I was asked to wait in a socially distanced line while I was given an information pack and told that I would be quarantining in Peppers Waymouth Hotel, Adelaide. After only a few minutes 20 of us were loaded on to a bus and taken to our quarantine hotel.

 Upon arrival to the hotel, the General Manager boarded the bus to greet us and explained the check in process. Once I was called off the bus, I had to identify my luggage to the hotel team who then escorted us to our rooms. Past reception, grab your welcome packet, do not collect $200 and move straight to your room. Once I got to my room – I stupidly asked for a key. Old habits. Obviously, I wouldn’t be needing a key as I wouldn’t be leaving the room for two weeks. 

 There were security guards outside in the corridor 24/7 and the only time you could open your door was to pick up meals, put trash out, pick up deliveries etc. I have to say I got really lucky with my hotel. My room was spacious and had a bath. The food was tasty and always hot, and the staff were very helpful and accommodating. 

 Having read some real horror stories online of other peoples experiences, I came well prepared. I also have a super awesome friend in Adelaide who dropped off an amazing care package!

 Here are a few of my ‘must have’ suggestions for hotel quarantine:

•  Oil Diffuser. It’s nice to add some relaxing scents, help you sleep, take away the hotel smell and add a little moisture in to the air.

• Yoga mat and exercise bands. Perfect for a daily stretch and work out. I also packed a skipping rope and used it every day.

• A swiss army knife. You’ll be calling reception a lot so having scissors, a bottle opener, a knife, screwdriver etc all in one place is quite handy.

• Mineral water spray. I went through two cans of Evian. Air-conditioned hotel rooms are DRY.

• Portable speaker. Having the radio on helped feel less alone without feeling like I was just vegging out in front of the TV.

• A power board and universal power adapter. It’s handy to have so all your electricals can be in one spot.

• A comfy hoody or sweater that you can wear daily when it’s cold. Messing with the AC control every five minutes is not fun and usually ends in a very hot room or a very cold room.

• VGA/HDMI cable so you can watch movies and workout videos on the TV in your room.

• A plate and some real cutlery. You should be able to call down for these and get one set for your entire stay that you can wash. It makes a huge difference to meal time.

• Laundry powder, dish soap and a sponge. These were the first things in my online shop and probably what I have used the most.

 During quarantine, I did two online grocery orders. Sitting in a room all day meant that I wasn’t ever really hungry so snacky items like wraps and hummus were my go-to. I also craved fresh fruit a lot, eating fresh mandarins and berries every day. Again, the food at my hotel was good, my only complaint was there was too much of it!

 I kept to a fairly solid routine and made sure I exercised at least 90 minutes a day, sometimes just listening to podcasts and walking in circles. This routine made a big difference. I also made sure to allocate an hour a day to enjoy a face mask, bath or mani-pedi. This always felt like a treat and was something to look forward to.

My overall experience was very positive.  South Australia health checked in daily to check on any symptoms but also to check on your mental state during quarantine, they also provided a lot of resources in case you were having difficulties. As I have mentioned I feel that I was very lucky with the hotel I was put in and this made a huge difference.

On a personal note I learnt not to be so hard on myself. On day one I was determined to be my most productive self for the entire 14 days, by day seven I realised I needed to give myself a break. Being locked in a room with no human contact or fresh air is not an easy thing and so it’s important to be kind to yourself.