Checkpoint Charlie

It wasn't our weekend to go on a care visit to mother.

Originally we had intended to have a luncheon party at our place on Sunday. A "First Sunday Lunch in the Home that We Own".

Alas.  The Melbourne lockdown meant that that had to be postponed. We can have up to 5 visitors at our place at the moment, but the guests are located in Melbourne and are not allowed to travel into the regions.

Lindsey and Ian had planned to head to Sydney for a week, to meet their new granddaughter, leaving us in charge at Hill House.

Alas. The closure of the border into NSW meant that that too had to be postponed.

This was all just as well. It had been Matthew's turn to make the care visit to mother.

Alas.  He had come down with a cold during the week and had, quite rightly, been tested for CV-19.  After that, of course, he had to quarantine at home until he got the result.  In any case, you wouldn't want to visit mother if you have a cold. She really does not need any respiratory issues.

Given that all weekend plans had had to be postponed and we were in bounding good health, Jim and I went for the care visit.

It was very quiet on the roads. We had a good run down. We did Useful Things at mother's house. We stayed for a few hours. Then we headed home again.

There was even less traffic on the roads.

So much so, that at Checkpoint Charlie, just outside of Bacchus Marsh, there were lots of checking spaces and virtually no cars.  I think they were quite pleased to see us!  There was a car in the first spot which pulled out as we got there.  Then us.  A pleasant woman from, I think, the ADF (she was in fatigues, not in a police uniform) checked my driver's licence and my reasons for being on the road.  She didn't query Jim's presence. She didn't ask for my letter confirming that we travel for care reasons. She didn't arrest me and send me to Manus Island or Nauru. In fact, she sent my on my way with good wishes for a safe journey and a pleasant evening.

I suppose, given that we live near Ballarat, if we had fancied a day at the beach there are plenty of beaches closer than the Mornington Peninsula which we could have gone to entirely legitimately. We could have gone to visit Matthew and family in Warragul, even driving through Melbourne. Except that he was in quarantine. And care giving is a legitimate reason to visit locked down areas. The lady at the checkpoint didn't seem particularly perturbed.

Though she might have done had we been trying to flee from Manky Melbourne into the Pristine Purity of Ballarat :-D

The next car that came along was pulled in for questioning as we were driving away. Normally on a Sunday evening there is lots of traffic on the freeway and they would have been run off their feet.  I wonder if they were bored.

(Matthew's CV test was, you will be pleased to hear, negative.)