So it's been a while since I last updated this blog.
It has been a whirlwind of events and different changes. Time really flies by when one is trying to catch her breath. Today I want to talk about going to Australia during the end of this COVID phase. The end of this COVID phase highlights that things are finally starting to open up. Bars, clubs, and other nightlife can stay open past 10.30pm. Private Valets have been fully booked until 4.30am. And when we take a walk outside, it is no longer mandatory to wear a mask.
All of these events took place on the day I was leaving to Adelaide, Australia where my husband is from. For one, I was truly excited as it would be the first time since I travelled in 2 years and coincidentally in my 30s. Secondly, we would be going to Adelaide where it would be the start of autumn. Now, I have always gone to Adelaide in the summer as that is when the husband has some time off work. So I was STOKED to finally experience Adelaide when there was a cold front. I was told that as it was the start of autumn and the end of summer, I should expect some warm days.
At the beginning, I had no idea what to start packing as I knew that the weather is Australia was highly unpredictable and it would be extremely ignorant of me to pack with summer in mind. Therefore, I have come up with my favorite Excel sheet to plan the days ahead and what to pack. The trick to packing for Australia is layers, layers and layers.
I was extremely glad that I brought along my windproof trench coat and my super fluffy pullover as that saved me for one of the nights when we were watching our nephew, Cooper, at his soccer match in 13 degree Celsius, windy conditions on an open field. It kept me so nice and warm, and the sky was lovely with red streaks and cotton candy clouds as they played during sunset.
The fluffy pullover also saved me from the wind blasts at Granite Island where my in-laws, Julie and Steve, kindly brought us on the roadtrip to. We were in Granite Island to try to find penguins but unfortunately found out that the population has decreased drastically due to a boom in the seal population.
Anyhoo, as this trip was to catch up with family and close friends, to remain fashionable, one must wear layers. The days start off at a cool 13-14 degrees Celsius before pleasantly heating up to about 16-23 degrees before dropping down to a wonderful 13-14 degrees again at night. Here is a list of items I wore on a day to day basis.
Day 1 - Arrived in the morning, bummed around and waited for PCR results to be back
Fuzzy Grey Top - Uniqlo
Shorts
Day 2 - Granite Island Road Trip
Fuzzy Grey Top - Uniqlo
Black Zara Singlet
Khaki Pants - Cotton On
Brought my windproof jacket just in case. Because you know, the sea. The wind.
Day 3 - Anderson Hill Vineyard
Black Turtleneck Short Sleeved Top
Fuzzy Grey Top - Uniqlo
Thick, fleece-lined tights
Zebra midi skirt
Clark Ankle Boots
Day 4 - Shopping day!
White T-shirt
Dark blue jeggings
Clark Ankle Boots
I also brought a huge shawl out with me to layer on top
Day 5 - Races at Morphettville and Del's birthday dinner at Sailmaster Tavern
Dark Blue Floral Dress
Thick, fleece-lined tights
Clark Ankle Boots
Huge black shawl
Day 6 - Pirate Life Brewery
Black Turtleneck Short Sleeved Top
Zebra midi skirt
Clark Ankle Boots
Cardigan
Day 7 - Harbourtown, outlet shopping!
White T-shirt
3/4 Pants
Slippers
Cardigan
Day 8 - Final goodbyes, last minute shopping
Dark Blue Maxi Dress
Fuzzy Grey Top - Uniqlo
Slippers
Day 9 - Departing for Singapore :(
Fuzzy Grey Top - Uniqlo
Black Zara Singlet
Dark blue jeggings
Slippers
Phew! So the key to the whole thing was to reuse as many articles of clothing that I could pack into my luggage as we were expecting to bring back a lot of goodies from Julie and Steve. Which we did. Which I'm not sharing. Which you know. It was a good thing that we could also use their washing machine while we were there.
Also here is a list of what I packed in my carry-on while we were heading to Australia besides the essentials like wallet and phone:
- iPad
- Thermos water bottle
- Hand sanitizer
- Anti bacteria wet wipes
- Flight socks
- Granola Bar
- Pens
- Travel Hairbrush
- Dry Shampoo
- Lip Balm
- Charging cables
I decided to do away with the face sheet masks onboard as you are expected to wear a face mask at all times other than eating or drinking. As your face does need that drink of water, I moisturized from head to toe before we left for the airport. Lip balm is also key as the dry cabin air can dry out your lips and create some very chapped, crusty lips for when you kiss your hubby in the morning.
What I prepared in my phone (screenshots accepted) before we checked our baggage into the flight to Adelaide:
- Proof of vaccination - They do not accept TraceTogether, it must be notarized. So I got mine via HealthHub.
- Proof of negative ART - I went with Doctor Anywhere, they were so fast and efficient. It was fantastic and only $12 for an online supervised ART.
Of course, I did do my declarations before entering Australia and got my visa as well.
What I prepared in my phone coming back to Singapore:
- Proof of vaccination - same as above.
- Proof of negative ART - This time, I went with Raffles Connect. Which was a mess, I tried to cancel/reschedule but the app would not allow me to enter. When I tried to get some help/support, I was only faced with an email address. It cost about $30 per person and I should have gone back to Doctor Anywhere instead.
And, that was it! It was super simple, quick and easy. Now on hindsight, we could have spent more days there. The shopping there was a little disappointing as a lot of the clothes were geared towards autumn and winter season. Not ideal for Singapore weather. Oh well, maybe we will go back again end of this year to do some proper shopping!
With Love,
Kanchiong Spider.
