Lyn Slessar-Kuriger is overjoyed that she will finally be able to see her Melbourne family after many long months without them.
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She hopes to welcome them to her Warrnambool home as soon as the 'ring of steel' is lifted between regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne on November 9.
"I'm 70, I had a non-event Zoom birthday in May, and I haven't seen my eldest or youngest daughters who are in Melbourne since early march," Ms Slessar-Kuriger said.
"One of those has three children and I haven't seen them either.
"I have another daughter in Queensland and I haven't seen for year.
"I have a son in Warrnambool I see when it's not lockdown, but when we had household bubbles we weren't theirs because his wife's parents were. There's three sets of grandparents, being divorced and remarried, so I understand it gets hard.
"I finally got to see them for their birthdays in October in the park outside.
"I am surviving but I miss not being able to see my daughters. Girls are closer to their mums."
Ms Slessar-Kuriger's husband is from New Zealand, and the pair were over there when flights started to ground to a halt due to the virus.
"We were lucky, we flew back form New Zealand in March just in time for lockdown.
"It was a bit scary, it was all happening in New Zealand on the TV, we thought what's this? When we went to the airport people were all masked up.
"I have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (a type of obstructive lung disease characterized by long-term breathing problems and poor airflow), asthma and diabetes so I'm quite high risk, that's why my kids been very good staying away.
"I keep myself sane walking on the beach in the sand early morning every day, if it's warm enough I'll go in the water, and it doesn't have to be that warm at all for me to go in."
Ms Slessar-Kuriger has been in Warrnambool her whole life. She was born at St John of God, and her children were born at St John of God.
She worked as a personal carer at Lyndoch Living when there was an Influenza A outbreak.
As someone who is immunocompromised, and who has worked on the health frontline, Ms Slessar-Kuriger said she was frustrated by some peoples' flippant attitude towards the coronavirus.
"I've sat here stunned, I'm so sick of people putting Daniel Andrews down, it wouldn't matter who was up there they would be making the decisions, it's a pandemic not politics.
"The other side are all having go at him but they would have to do what Brett Sutton is doing as well, I think they've done a great job.
"It's not a time to whinge about the other side and get votes.
"I used to work in aged care and they had Influenza A when I worked at Lyndoch and we would mask and gown up to look after those patients.
"So many died from that, but none of the workers seemed to catch it. This virus has been unreal.
"I think all the idiots out protesting have really got it better than what they think, the alternative is not good.
"I would rather stay home and not get sick."
She said lockdown had been hard on her Melbourne family but they were happy to be locked down rather than "out taking risks".
After November 9 she hopes to welcome them to Warrnambool and hug her grandchildren.
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