At 12:30 I said we needed to get going to get my Covid test before traveling. I had called Delta in Sydney earlier and they told me all I needed was a negative result on my phone within 3 days of travel. It was now two days before my international flight. I asked at my local doctor and they told me to go to a drive up and I didn’t need an appointment. We went to the local drive up testing station, and they said it would be and two and a half hour wait because there had been some cases in Melbourne and they were urging people to get tested. After an hour we were waved to the head of the line.

            A nice gentleman in a mask and shield said, “You need to stay home until you get the test results which will  probably take 1-3 days. 

  “But I’m flying to Sydney tomorrow, this test was for a International flight that I’m taking out of Sydney.”

        The masked man said gently, “Then you will be breaking quarantine and subjected to a fine.” 

“I will put priority on it, but you need to stay home until you get the results.”  He mentioned to a co-worker that this needed to be urgent, it was for international travel.

            She said, “No, we can’t give you the test you need to go to the Doreviitch Pathology.

            We drove over there quickly, Rob let me out at the door and I hurried up the elevator to the 3rd floor.  I asked a gal, she was just finishing work, she’d been there since 6 am. She said, “We don’t do those here.”

            “But I just went through the line at the Rehabilitation Hospital and they said to come here.  Where should I go?  I need the test for an international flight.”

            “Let me call the main site in Heidelberg on Banksia street.
“

            I stood there crossing my fingers and toes while she called. My bladder was full, my breathing was getting shallower as I started to panic. 

            “Yes they do it, and they are open until 6.”

            “Is there a restroom near here.”  She directed me to the restroom and I made it just in time. Then I raced downstairs to find my ride, but he was no where. 

            Thank God for cell phones I thought as I frantically called him.

            “I’m on the third floor Rob said.”

            “We have to go to Banksia street they don’t do it here.”

            We drove another 15 minutes to Banksia street.  There wasn’t any line, and we drove right up.

            “She needs a Covid test for travel.” Rob calmly explained 

            “Drive to aisle 2.” She said pointing to an open slot in a huge garage, with a gentleman wearing a mask and a shield.

            I was started to breathe a sigh of relief when he asked for my order.  I showed him my online number that I’d filled out in the first line.

            “No that doesn’t work.  You need to go online to this address, fill out the form and pay $150.”

            “Maybe I can do it here with my phone?”

            “No we need it printed and you need your passport.”

            Oh no, I’d left that at home.  We raced home.  I filled out the form and used my credit card to pay.  We printed it out and hurried back, there still wasn’t a line.  I copied the information from my printed form, asking me to double check what he had written.

            “Have you had this before?”

            “No I was in Queensland, then I came here when the borders opened.”

I opened my mouth and he swished the long que tip on one side and then the other, then he stuck it up one nostril then the other, handing me a pile of Kleenex in case I needed to sneeze. It was really very simple. They said I’d have the results by 3:30 tomorrow via email. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as I was packing up my computer this morning the results came: Negative. I printed it out, ready set go, Borders to NSW are still open. Fingers crossed, they are talking about a lockdown starting soon.

I left five hours before a lockdown