When COVID-19 hit, many were struck by the unpredictability of pandemic life. But rural Australians were prepared
ABCStanding on her porch in the middle of south-west Queensland, Lynelle Urquhart jokes that she was an expert in social distancing before it became fashionable. Key points: Australia Talks asked people about their happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic Australia Talks asked people about their happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic Farmers say the lockdown experience was unique in rural areas Farmers say the lockdown experience was unique in rural areas Some felt guilty life hadn't changed as it did in the city "One of the first things explained to me when I moved out here as a young teacher was that people in the bush needed more personal space," she says. "We were already working from home and cooking everything ourselves anyway — so I didn't need to learn how to make sourdough — and we buy in bulk because it's so far to the shops." The wide open spaces of her farm near Moonie helped Lynelle Urquhart feel "retty normal" during the height of the pandemic. "When COVID hit, we'd just come out of the drought, and people were trying to restock, and crowds couldn't come to the sales — but the cattle could — that's probably the biggest thing we noticed," he says.
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