Plenty of space for social distancing here then

As I sit in transit at Melbourne airport it is a blip full of thanks and apologies. I will start with apologies to all who tried so hard to wake me up last night to inform of the minor miracle that my brother had performed in getting me a flight for the early morning. I had taken my phone out of my case to use a NZ sim to try and contact embassies and such people. When I put it back into the case it must have, unbeknownst to me, flicked that sounds switch on the side of iPhones. Luckily Leila thought to try ringing me on the phone which was, thankfully, on vibrate and managed to wake me that way.
With it being the last day of the Australian transit extension, last day before NZ shut down airports and with Doha, although shut as a country, still allowing transit it was definitely a last chance saloon situation. I had given up on getting home after 2 tickets had become unusable but my brother is not so easily defeated.
Arrived at the airport and when I tried to check in I was told I couldn’t board because the transit time in Melbourne exceeded the new 8 hr maximum time allowed. In despair I went to the Qatar airline desk where this absolute angel did an unheard of thing and changed my initial flight to a later one to decrease the time in Melbourne, it’s worked so far....
So the folk I would like to thank are obviously my brother, my sister for managing to get Leila, Leila for thinking differently, Tony for all his previous efforts on my other ticket, Em and Ailsa for chatting all the way through my stressful situation and all of you for keeping me up to date on the hour by hour changes in the world situation, you have been amazing. Nicola and Glenn for offering me such an amazing safe haven when I thought I was stuck there for the duration and for being so kind to me when I just arrived, by chance, as a complete stranger. Also to my angel at the Qatar airlines desk, thank you.
There is so many other kindnesses I have received along the way but most importantly I would like to thank all the Maori tribes, who give us their permission to walk through their lands. It has truly been one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life being allowed to spend time tramping and camping in your beautiful country.