CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
North-West Queensland stockman, Karl Bratter (32) doesn’t seem to be aware that no one in the city of Melbourne is allowed outside their homes for more than 1 hour per day.
Either that or he doesn’t care.
He’s also unaware that no one in Australia will be going on an overseas holiday for the next year, or on an overseas business trip for that matter.
In fact, as far as Karl is concerned COVID-19 is just some sort of biosecurity fuck up that’s causing issues for pubs and restaurants in the big smoke. A bit like the time those blokes spiked the Sizzler salad bars with rat bait and then went to jail for ages.
But while speaking to an old mate whose living in the Tweed on the phone today, it all became very real for Karl.
“What, you’re telling me ya can’t cross the Queensland border, even if you are from there? What the?” says Karl, after his mate from Cabarita Beach called to explain why he won’t be able to make his bucks party next month.
“That explains why there’s no caravans on the road up here”
“I haven’t had to sit behind a camper trailer with Victorian plates at 80 kilometres an hour for the entire drive between Longreach and Winton for at least a couple months”
“Why is that ya reckon?” he asks his mate.
After getting a summarised explanation about how the entire planet is currently experiencing a historical event that has seen world powers shut down their economies for over nine months, Karl says he deadset wouldn’t have thought this little news story he heard about on the wireless back in February was gonna turn into such a big thing.
“Ah yeah I heard about that virus” he says.
“So you reckon it’s fucking everything up?”
“…Oh shit is that why they don’t have any crowds at the footy? I just thought it was because of how the Broncos have been playing”
“Oh well. Is there a cure for it?” he asks.
“Like a vaccine or a tablet or something. Surely it can’t hang around forever?”
“No doubt America is all over it aye”
