What are you watching?
Too much. Local news at 6pm. ABC news at 7 pm. Then some forgettable Netflix rubbish for an hour or so.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
What music are you listening to?
Usually the ABC news and local programs in the morning and then flick around the channels during the day.
What are you cooking?
Cooking skills are pretty modest: pasta and sometimes wagyu sausages (sad I know).
How are you staying fit, both physically and mentally?
Physically - OK, but putting on a bit of weight which is unusual for me being a skinny one. I miss my swimming a lot. Mentally - pretty fair. I have always been comfortable with solitude. I am probably fortunate as I have to keep going managing essential services.
What's the one thing keeping you sane?
Can't choose one. Instead three things- work keeping me occupied; mucking about in the garden and lawns; the company of my wife and daughter. Plus calls and Facetime with my other sons and granddaughter.
Are you working from home? If so how's that going, if not what's work like for you now?
I work in essential services including water and waste so my work pattern hasn't changed much. We're practicing distancing and other strategies. Getting on top of remote meetings is a battle. Our work relies on on-going community engagement and that isn't easy at the moment.
What's something positive you've witnessed or experienced since the coronavirus hit?
I can't go past the community's behaviour towards water savings. I thought our communal discipline and attitude may have relaxed as we went through these huge changes. It hasn't. We are still in a tight spot and people are recognising that irrespective of all our other challenges.
What have you learned about yourself amid the crisis?
In the bigger picture I have learnt Australians can and do act in the community's best interests even at their personal cost. On a personal level, I have remembered to appreciate health, security, community, family and living in country with a functioning government including a great health system. I have learned I can I can cope if I hasten slowly.
What's your advice for others to cope with the crisis?
Listen to the experts not the noise. We will prevail. Lean on and appreciate your friends and family. Think what history tells us - out of adversity and major struggles a better society can emerge and there will be opportunities including for regional Australia.
