Kimberley Trip, Day 15: Isolation / Hunter River

Thursday, June 6, 2024

I felt a little stuffy this morning, and given the ship’s COVID outbreak, I decided to get tested. I called Dr. Bob, the ship’s doctor, who came by with a couple of swabs, one for me and one for Kenna. A few minutes later, he called back with the result: I had tested positive, but Kenna was negative. He returned a little while later to check my vitals, listen to my lungs, and deliver Paxlovid, which I had taken on both of my previous COVID cases.

The ship’s protocol for handling this was straightforward: I needed to isolate myself in our room for 24 hours, and Kenna should stay away as much as possible. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus appeared on my cabin door. I selected meals, which were delivered to me in the room. Since the cruise ends on Sunday, I will need to wear a mask on the ship for a few days for the rest of the cruise.

Kenna went out to eat with the rest of the ship (specifically with Jan and Dave, whom we had spent time with) and then went on the day’s activities. The morning activity was a ride to see Thor’s Hammer, a tall sandstone rock formation. Kenna’s Zodiac was piloted by Karla, the expedition leader, and paired with Kurt, the geologist, in another Zodiac. Between the two, the group got a good geology lesson with specimens of quartz crystals that Karla borrowed from a rocky outcrop where they stopped.

The afternoon excursion was their best opportunity to see crocodiles as the tide was going out on Porosus Creek. They were still a little early, but after a while finally got a few sightings including a chance to watch a crocodile devour a crab, before having to return to the ship.

There was also a briefing for tomorrow’s helicopter trip. The helicopter company was consulted to see if they would permit masked Covid-positive people on the helicopters, and they said it was OK, provided they were diagnosed before 8 am today (I was diagnosed about 7:45). Whew. I will still need to be checked to see if I’m running a fever (I wasn’t today), so my fingers are crossed that I can go.

My day was mostly spent reading and doing consulting work since I had to stay in the cabin anyway.

In the evening, Kenna was told they had found another place for her to sleep to minimize her exposure. It is a cabin for harbor pilots to use when necessary. We appreciate the creativity of the hotel manager, Fran, in finding this for her. Fran has been amazing through this entire cruise, and this evening brought Kenna a night light to use in the temporary cabin.

This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Indonesia and Australia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.