On reflection....

Since I started the blog, NZ has opted for a lottery system for MIQ places, which has irked the 30,000+ people still seeking them, just as much as the previous frustrating system, that relied on constantly refreshing the screen, and being on the computer for hours and hours every day. It obviously doesn’t matter what the system is, there just aren’t enough places, and the need for a full 14 day’s managed isolation, particularly for those double vaccinated, is highly questionable. Even knocking the time back to 10 days would make a substantial difference to the numbers able to return. Unfortunately, alternatives relying on a degree of discipline, or adherence to rules, even if wearing an ankle bracelet, are unlikely to have the desired effect.

Having said that, I suppose I’m extremely lucky to have even landed an MIQ spot, and regardless of the comments that follow, any implied criticism is merely a statement of fact or personal opinion.  If any of the information has helped a potential returnee, so much the better. For friends and relatives, I hope it passed the time and kept you in touch with what was going on and for me, it helped pass my time in solitary confinement.

SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

Although those travelling with a partner or children, may have craved a bit of peace and quiet (I had more than one offer to adopt children…) the lack of human contact wasn’t too bad, and thanks to Ange, who was one of the contributors to an MIQ Facebook page, there was therefore one family on the same incoming flights from the UK who I chatted with several times when out on exercise.

There were just three others I chatted to over the 14 days and it was quite interesting to note that most singles, male and female, made no attempt to communicate with other exercisers.  Ringing my wife twice a day was also a great help.

The important part of a 14 day spell on your own is to consider how you are going to occupy your time.

I’d prepared well, possibly too well.

1)    Laptop computer – 100% essential for me, for communication, and specifically, examining and cropping the thousands of photographs I’d taken.

2)   Headphones with a micro card with a load of music – 90% essential

3)   A 1tb hard drive, firstly loaded with films and music and also as an essential file back up for the photographs - just in case – 80% essential

4)   A book of codewords for the times when I didn’t want to look at a computer or TV screen – 50% essential

5)   Several magazines - 50% essential as during 2020, they wouldn’t deliver internationally and I’m well behind with my reading.

6)   Two novels – as above, but I never needed them – 0% essential

7)   A ‘Wasgij’ jigsaw that I could have done, although it might have meant compromising the desk space  - 0% essential  

8)   An HDMI cable to connect the laptop to the TV – 0% essential as the room had a large ‘Smart TV’ with YouTube, Netflix etc.

9)   Knife and fork - because some MIQ facilities only supplied plastic cutlery – 0% essential for this MIQ facility.

SUPPLIES

In terms of supplies I’d brought with me, either from NZ or picked up in the UK

1)    Coffee bags (like tea bags, but ground coffee) – 100% essential

2)   A jar of Jarrah hazelnut latte coffee proved to be 100% essential as I hadn’t brought enough coffee bags.

3)   A container of brown sugar for my coffee – 100% essential

4)   A few cans of cider, only  packed because I hadn’t consumed them in the UK! – 60% essential

5)   Shampoo/bodywash – 60% essential as the hotel did supply, but like most, I prefer my own.

During the MIQ isolation, it is possible to have items delivered either from family members/friends, or from supermarkets, retail outlets, hired exercise equipment etc. It was my choice to not bother. So what should I have bought or arranged?

1)    If I’d realised that I’d get so frustrated with 14 days of food that was never hot, I would have had an electric frying pan delivered!

2)   I’d planned to bring a tub of Norpak or Lurpak butter from the UK, but I didn’t pass an Aldi supermarket – or any supermarket - between Bournemouth and Heathrow. Drat.

3)   Had I known that the breakfast rolls only had jam or marmalade, I’d have brought a jar of Nutella as an indulgence, rather than a necessity.

4)   I hadn’t packed enough coffee bags. I should have probably packed enough for at least one a day. A barista coffee at $5 a time could be ordered but it would only be delivered with a meal. Asking others, it seems that although the coffee was OK, like the food, rarely hot.

I can’t really finish this blog without complimenting the staff and NZDF personnel at the Distinction Hotel, Hamilton, for doing a good job.  Sure, the staff occasionally forgot my soft drink or juice, or sent margarine (yeuk) instead of butter, but it must have been a tough gig for them.

Although I didn’t really care for the breakfasts, and the lunch options weren’t really very appetising (other than the mac & cheese and meatballs of course), I did enjoy the evening meals. I have rarely had better lamb shanks, or beef brisket. Even the butter chicken was much better than several Indian takeaways we have had. The salmon and the chicken was also pretty good and the pork ribs, though tender, a once only choice.
So on reflection, although there was the collective groan that we’d be going to Hamilton, it proved to be much better than some of the other facilities, especially with the access to fresh air (opening windows) and the exercise options.

A smart TV and good in room supplies, from washing up liquid, hand sanitiser, plenty of towels, toilet paper etc., to bottled water, a pack of playing cards and an exercise book and a good decent sized room with good lighting and an air conditioning unit/heater and of course, a fridge, it wasn’t a bad stay at all.

Once back home, there was a follow up health check via email and back into level 3 lockdown (Auckland), so no café eating and limited social contact.

I hope this blog may have helped those about to try for an MIQ space, but we have heard that due to the cases in the Waikato region, the Distinction is now accommodating covid positive cases. We sincerely hope this is only a short term arrangement.   

      

 

 

MIQ day 14 - well, 8 hours of it.

The last night’s MIQ sleep was probably better than I expected, but having woken early, I’d nodded off again by the time the 5:30am alarm went off!  Typical. A shave and shower and a little of the given breakfast, plus a coffee, then just a short wait after 6am before the health team knocked on the door, for a final temperature and health check. All OK.

The instruction then was to wait until 7:30am, after which time, an NZDF member (New Zealand Defence Force) would knock on the door and escort us to the exit and the coach.

As my room gave me a view of the reception covered way, I was delighted to see the coach there at 7:30!  

After a final check that I hadn’t forgotten anything and a quick wipe down of the various work surfaces and bathroom vanity, it wasn’t long before there was a knock on the door, and heaving the two cases and the carry on wheelie bag out. The lady soldier very kindly wheeled one of the cases for me, and then it was along the corridors and down the ramp for the final time, to the exit.  There, I had to show a photo ID, drop the room key and then the NZDF officer handed me my ‘discharge papers’. The bus driver loaded the cases onto the coach and there were only about a dozen of us on coach #1. Some of course were being picked up, or making their own way home.  

As with our arrival a Maori farewell from the manager and a well-deserved round of applause for him, and again for the NZDF officer, who also wished us well and thanked us for our co-operation.  Unlike one of the MIQ facilities, no reports of gang members smashing up the rooms.

Sure enough, the bus departed on time just after 8am and I didn’t care that it was raining. The last step to freedom – of sorts, as Auckland was still in lockdown.

A good easy run to the airport and I’d suggested that Paula didn’t get there too early, not knowing whether she’d be allowed to wait for the coach.
I needn’t have worried, as it was exactly like the International terminal on September 4^th – deserted. The coach arrived at 9:35. Paula and her daughter Julie, just a few minutes later. An emotional reunion then we headed for home, sweet home.

An hour or two later, Paula and I headed out to one of our favourite café’s for a decent takeaway coffee and a heated beef sandwich, which we enjoyed, down at Onewa Domain.

Although that ends the 14 day’s MIQ experience, which was what this blog was all about, I’ll post again with some random comments, such as what I took with me and maybe what I should have taken, plus some generalised comments about the whole  MIQ experience. Within the next few days, no doubt there will be a follow up telephone call, to check that I haven’t developed any covid symptoms.          

 

MIQ days 12 & 13 - Tuesday & Wednesday - the end is nigh...

Early to bed, early to rise – etc etc. Well for me, early to bed merely means a wake up far too early. At least putting on the TV at 1:30am, when you are on your own, isn’t going to wake anyone else. Plenty on YouTube to keep me amused and having a smart TV in the room and good internet has definitely been a massive plus for the Distinction Hotel and Conference Centre.

Another less than appetising continental breakfast, but eking out the so called single serving of Nutella to three small servings has been worthwhile. I also used up the last of my stock of coffee bags. The jar of Jarrah coffee will just about last me.

Day 12 is a crucial one within the 14 days of MIQ, as the final covid test and temperature is taken. Fail this test and your stay is extended and you are shipped off to a more secure establishment. During the testing time, exercise is obviously not possible, either for our group or any of the others. For us, no big deal, so I went out for an earlier than usual spell on the yard – before I’d had a shower and shave. Having suffered Auckland’s water shortages for over a year, meaning a suggested limit of 3 minutes per shower to conserve water, standing under a decent hot shower for several minutes, is deemed a luxury, one I took full advantage of. (Is that a split infinitive?)

I’d ordered the macaroni cheese and meatballs (again – remember there were only ten choices), but this time, opted to NOT stick it in the kettle!  Tempting though. It is still the best lunch option and apart from a bowl of soup, the only one that isn’t cold.  It may not be hot, but it isn’t cold. As a general rule, I rarely eat cold food of any sort.

I had to do a bit of work regarding emails during the afternoon, and also did a load more photo cropping.
The evening meal was the excellent lamb shank - and the meal was the warmest so far.  The meat just fell off the bone as I transferred it to a plate that had been heated. Another cider from the stock. One left.

Another short spell of outdoor exercise before a Jarrah coffee and yet again, a fairly early bed. Only one more full day to go. Yippee.

 

WEDNESDAY

As before, not a solid night’s sleep and up a bit earlier than usual, revelling in the fact that this was the last real day of quarantine. It was the second favourite breakfast of a frittata, hash browns and beans. Virtually cold.
A determined effort to push through the photo cropping, but as yesterday, a shorter exercise slot as it was group 2’s turn for the testing. This time, I managed to meet up with two of the four chat buddies, Cat & John, and we walked until the exercise slot closed. The sun was shining!

The cold chicken and brie panini filled a gap at lunch time and I took stock of what was in the fridge, which meant an extra drink of juice and an extra drink of milk. No point in leaving them.

The  final evening meal was the tasty butter chicken curry.  I’d not long finished it, when there was another knock on the door and yet another paper bag. I thought for a minute that I’d scored another chicken curry. No such luck. It was the Thursday morning breakfast – continental of course.
With the packing completed, another stroll around the yard with the headphones playing my favourite music, then once again an early bed time, but with the travel alarm set for 5:30am, in anticipation of the final health check, sometime between 6:00am and 7:30am.
Although this is effectively the last day in quarantine, I’ll post at least once more before wrapping up this less than exciting blog.  Sorry, no pics – again.       

MIQ days 10 & 11 - Sunday & Monday

Once again, not a lot to report as the days to freedom get ticked off, one by one.

Continental breakfasts at the weekend, so the snack of a packet of corn chips was welcome.   

Luckily the weather has been relatively kind and I seem to bump into John on most exercise spells, which is a huge help in passing the time, otherwise I have the headphones with music to break the boredom.

A note with the meal that they have run out of orange juice!  Instead of substituting apple juice – nothing.  Then Sunday afternoon, I decided to open an apple juice. Now I know I’m not the strongest person in the world, but it seems than many jars and containers these days seem virtually impossible to open. I struggled with this one, and although I did manage it, I basically strained my hand!  Next time I’ll use the sharp knife and cut the seal – which is what I should have done anyway.

The Sunday evening meal of beef brisket, was once again, excellent, with three thick slices of really tender beef - and the meal was the warmest so far.

Amazing how much I have watched on YouTube – and enjoyed.  Let’s face it, what’s on the free to air TV isn’t exactly gripping.

MONDAY

The sleep was disturbed, as despite taking a Panadol, my hand was still painful.

Then things changed here. Just as I was about to head for exercise, a call from reception that we had to stay in our rooms until further notice, as someone had tested positive for covid, but they wouldn't give any details as to which day's flight arrivals. 

I later discovered it wasn't from our flight. After lunch, which I didn't feel like eating, we got the all clear mid afternoon as the affected person had been shipped out. Phew!  Our due departure Thursday unaffected.

I definitely feel that the end is in sight, though it seems that Auckland will still be in level 3 lockdown with just minor variations. 'Level 3 with picnics' as described by David Seymour.

The butter chicken curry for dinner, once again was excellent and the evening meal definitely the best meal of the day.

So, just two days to go now, so tomorrow, I'll be packing up one of the suitcases

   

 

MIQ days 8 & 9, Friday October 1st /2nd 2021

FRIDAY

Well, at this stage in the incarceration, very little to report other than ‘same old, same old’. When a nurse sticking a thermometer in your ear is the only break to the  routine, you have some idea as to what it is now like.

Even the once a day call for your food order is now done and dusted, as I had a call to say that rather than ringing daily, could I please state my preferences for Sunday, Monday & Tuesday. (Then a call a day later for Wednesday – the final day. Whoopee.)

Friday is cooked breakfast day – oh yippee… Today though, I steamed the bread roll as per my new normality, and rescued from my secret horde, a sachet of Nutella from Bournemouth. That went down very well, along with a large coffee – though I only have three coffee bags left. I could order a coffee here ($5), but asking others, it seems that it is only delivered at meal times and subject to the same problem – ie. not hot. Not worth it. Roll on next Thursday – hot coffee and hot food.

Nothing new on the food front to photograph. A slightly cooler day but I did still manage a few laps of the compound, overseen by two defence force personnel AND a security guard. A good walk and chat again to John. It certainly makes the exercise time go quicker with someone to chat to. 

I sometimes wonder at the cost implications of MIQ an whether or not more money is being thrown at it than is strictly necessary – but as that is the case with any government initiative, no surprise.

Lunch was the corned beef sandwich again and this time, it did come with the chips, which were very nice and still fairly warm.

After the usual afternoon phone call to Paula, more YouTube – Jasper Carrott and Freddie Starr and again after dinner – roast chicken with vegetables. Nice enough.
I decided not to go to the nightclub in Hamilton.

 

SATURDAY  – and a food experiment

Most days I have rolled out of bed about 7:30am and done a bit of photo cropping before breakfast, leaving the computer on charge – which is a bit of a problem. The AC adaptor plug into the laptop has always been a bit loose, but now, I have to waggle it around to get a connection and the thought of no computer is a worry.
Back to the continental breakfast.  I now have a bag of one serving breakfast cereals that I’ll probably drop in the charity food bin at the supermarket. I have always thought that there is as much goodness in the cardboard box as the average cereal contents.

The sachet of Nutella was eked out to enhance today’s bread roll.
After exercise, I contemplated once again, a means to heat up the expected macaroni cheese, with a side of meatballs. The temptation was too great. I slugged some milk into the kettle and heated it for a short time (probably too long).  When the food arrived, I spooned the macaroni into the milky kettle, switched it on and stirred it. Excellent, and at least the macaroni was hot. Result.
My task for Saturday afternoon was cleaning the kettle, where the milk had obviously stuck… With such a small necked kettle, I had to use my long handled spoon to scrape the base clean.  Was it worth it? Probably. Will I be doing it again. Nope.

Paula hadn’t had a good day and as I don’t have my phone switched on, she couldn’t ring me. Big mistake on my part. I felt guilty and a bit low for the day, but she’d chatted to the non-family Julie, where both think we males are bar stewards for keeping them apart, and still relying on each other for moral support. That helped.

Salmon for dinner (nice) and after a quick couple of laps of the yard, more YouTube.
I’d brought a hard drive with me, loaded with films, YouTube clips, music etc., but what I should have brought - or had delivered, was a small electric frying pan.

MIQ days 6 & 7, September 29/30th 2021.

My room is ground floor, the one with the open upper window.

Gave up on sleep about 4am and put on the headphones.  All very well having an afternoon nana nap (which helps to pass the time), and an earlier bedtime than at home, but the inevitable result is something less than a solid night’s sleep.  When normality is going to bed 11:30pm, doing the daily diary, lights out and TV off is rarely before midnight then awake about 8am, this break to the routine is obviously going to muck up the sleep patterns.

Out of bed and more time on the computer dealing with the thousands of photographs taken whilst away. Those taken on the small camera have to be cropped to 6x4, whilst those taken on the large camera are already 6x4, but most need cropping.  Although pics have been renumbered, (year, month, day, sequence) they still need the subject adding.

Today’s breakfast was the once a week vegetable frittata with hash browns and baked beans.  No microwave delivered, so another breakfast that would have been so much nicer if it had been hot.

My el cheapo phone seems unreliable when it comes to WiFi and a WhatsApp call to Stewart dropped out after a few minutes and wouldn’t reconnect. So, phone useless and Skype stuffed. So much for modern communications.

Exercise before lunch and again, something I hadn’t tried before. Three soft tacos and a mix of shredded chicken, salad, tomato, onion, capsicum and corn, with a small dash of sour cream and a small dollop of guacamole. OK, but I probably wouldn’t repeat it.

I treated myself to a cider with my lamb shank, which once again was excellent.
Exercise time in the evening was 7:30pm to 8:30pm so I did a couple of laps.

I remembered to send a short birthday message to Megan, one of the blog followers. No doubt if she reads this at night, she’ll have no problem sleeping.

THURSDAY

Woohoo! At 8:09am, half way through this enforced ‘holiday/imprisonment’, but I was awake about 3am again – and it wasn’t the excitement that had me waking earlier either. Although it was back to the continental breakfast, (and a steamed wholegrain roll this time - and a steamed pastry) the feeling was that counting down the days is now a reality. For Paula too. The weather didn’t look too promising, but at exercise, a chat once again to John and Cat (a Czech lady we’d both chatted to before, prominent in a dayglo pink and black outfit). We kept our distance of course, but it was nearer 1m than 2m, but the defence personnel didn’t seem too worried. Then it started to drizzle so we called it a day.

More computer work before lunch, which this time was supposed to be a (cold) smoked chicken and brie panini with cranberry sauce, with a side of coleslaw, but the person who was supposed to put on the cranberry must have been away.
After ringing Paula, afternoons tend to drag, but having YouTube on the Smart TV is an opportunity to search out more Chris Barber Jazz Band stuff, old comedians or even Goodwood 2021, whilst stretching out on the bed and resting the eyes. The latter is useful as I had to correct a statement I made on a website where I post my photographs, as to the winner of one of the races.  I thought the hilarious ‘The Owlet’ had won, but in fact it came second.

The evening butter chicken curry was even better than the previous one, and after a short stretch outside in the fresh air, I retired early, but opted for an evening coffee, which I hoped would help me sleep. Yes, I know that for most, that is the last thing to drink before bed, but when did I always act normally?

As you can see from the pic, progress on the ‘Wasgij’ jigsaw #1 is very steady.   

  
    

MIQ day's 4 & 5 September 27/28 2021

As we are at the stage where not  a lot is happening, I may as well combine 2 days. Pic above is the pile of paper bags - 1 delivered per meal.  They are well organised and I believe they have large whiteboards with all room numbers on them, and where they write any preferences, such as 'no marge, just butter' - though judging by my deliveries, there are occasional errors.  I also suspect they may have different boards for different meals as I stil seem to get some margarine.  

A slightly better sleep, but a cooked breakfast to look forward to. No pic as it was exactly as before.

Out after breakfast for a stroll – and I have to say, the exercise options here are generous, compared to several other MIQ facilities. We are given the times and don’t have to book. Just show the room key number and your wristband to security, who log you out then in again. This time I chatted to another inmate/traveller, which passed the time better.

Lunch I’d ordered the macaroni again, but it arrived without the juice, so a call to the very pleasant receptionist, who asked how many I wanted. As it is a very good fresh squeezed juice but a fairly small bottle, I opted for three… They arrived a few minutes later.

A nana nap followed and as we also have YouTube, I managed to watch a Chris Barber Jazz Band concert – or two.

Dinner was another new choice – butter chicken curry and rice. Very nice it was too. As with all the evening dishes so far, the meat has been tender and the portions generous. Maybe I will be putting on weight after all.

A later evening stroll – just a few laps and I should have taken the camera, as the light on a tall tree would have photographed well.

 

Tuesday and well into the enforced incarceration now, so almost a matter of just ticking along. I’d been debating how to heat food and as the only heating device is the kettle, I thought I’d try steaming the bread roll. A brioche roll as it happens and just the right size to sit atop the kettle. Back to the continental and afterwards, out for exercise, where all 4 groups are now allowed, but with a 40 person maximum, I went out a bit later, mainly as I was frustrated at trying to get Skype to work. More about that later. Ange and Rhys were out in the centre whilst the kids used chalk to draw all sorts of stuff on the car park.

They just happened to mention that they had a family room - and a microwave.  So, I rang reception asking if there was any chance of getting one. Lunch arrived (macaroni cheese again) and having considered sticking some milk into the kettle, heating it then adding the macaroni, I decided to wait and see if a microwave arrived, as that would be somewhat easier than cleaning out the kettle!
So far, nothing.

Most of the afternoon was spent trying to rescue my original Skype (mgmonza8), as since Microsoft, Facebook and Skype are now somewhat intermingled, it seems that a new Skype profile had been created that I knew nothing about, but I can’t get into my original one. Got fed up with various recovery options and password changes, email verifications and so on, so I have given up.

The nurses called in today for a temperature check, in addition to the usual daily phone call.

Dinner was another option I hadn’t tried. Pork spare ribs and once again, plenty of meat and nicely cooked – and two more bottles of juice. I’m actually posting this on Tuesday the 28^th, so I’m right up to date as nothing much will be happening tonight, though I may just do a couple of laps. So far, no rain here, whilst Auckland had a splash.