Sun, sweat and rations for Shropshire gran finally allowed into Aussie quarantine

The result is a two-week quarantine in an old miners' camp in Australia, where she is not allow to venture from her tiny cabin, and where she has already been told off for not wearing her mask sitting on the even smaller decking by her door - with temperatures in the mid to high 30s.

Pat, from Ellesmere, along with the other foreign visitors in the camp, has one hot meal a day brought to her, has a ration of tea bags and fruit and says her highlight of the first week was taking her washing a couple of hundreds yards to the laundry on site.

But the 62-year-old, who is usually to be found enjoyed long bike rides and walks, says it will all be worth it when she gets to meet 11-month-old Frankie for the first time next week.

She said: "My daughter Rebecca emigrated to Perth in Western Australia almost nine years ago and I have been fortunate enough to visit her almost once a year since she went - well until Covid struck. The last time I had a hug was November 2018 at her wedding.

"When she announced she was expecting my first grandchild due in the December, we tried everything to get the Australian government to grant me an exemption to travel to support her in her pregnancy - especially as her husband is away every other week and her in-laws live over three-and-a-half hours away.

"We applied more than 10 times for the exemption to travel, each one being returned saying ‘the risk out weighed the benefits’.

"Rebecca went through quite a difficult time with her own and Frankie's health after the birth and, from a mum's point of view it was absolutely heart breaking - she needed me and I couldn’t get to her.

The exemption was finally approved at the end of October and Pat was able to get a government flight leaving London on November 8. But was told she would have to quarantine at Howard Springs, near Darwin in the Northern Territory, for two weeks at a cost of 2,500-1,369 Australian dollars.

She said even the night before the flight she did not know whether she would be brave enough to get on the plane to be "locked up" for two weeks.

"But my 'little girl' needed me and there is no truer saying than a mother's love knows not boundaries."

She said her daily calls with Rebecca were a constant reminder of why she is in quarantine.

Pat took her yoga mat in her case with her and Rebecca has sent a stepper to the camp so that she can get some exercise on the decking.

"The meals are brought to your room once at day, a hot meal at night and cold for breakfast and lunch and the food is very good. I am also sewing a patchwork quilt with material I brought with me as a keepsake for Frankie.

"My family and friends at home are supporting me on social media and so I am trying to stay positive and focus on the prize at the end - hugs with Frankie and Rebecca."