Our stay in Armidale was chosen because the Westside Studio Apartments happened to have a special offer for a one-week stay. In school holidays during the COVID-19 pandemic with international borders closed – you take whatever you can find – nearly everywhere is booked solid.

Our accommodation was in the suburbs of Armidale – about 2.5km from the centre of town. After work we went for walks in various directions – we found a few park areas and a footpath that went to the University of New England.

We also took a day trip to New England National Park, and to Dangar and Racecourse lagoons for some bird-spotting.

The weather was rainy a lot of the time – but on the plus side we saw our first ever double-barred finch.