Having been marooned in Australia upon halt of the NZ - Aus travel bubble in late July, I'm currently enjoying a stay in the 'resort'. That is, the Sudima Auckland Airport Hotel, one of the NZ governments managed isolation facilities. It took me five tries at the 'lottery' to secure a room. The lottery is the online allocation system at https://allocation.miq.govt.nz that lets a certain number of people through each round to secure a voucher: their permission to enter the country via aeroplane and go into managed isolation.

Present at the Sudima isolation facility are Navy personnel (running the show and providing the security), hotel staff (reception, room service, meals, etc etc) and some health workers (eg: on-site covid PCR testing).

The overall atmosphere is pleasant. Yes having the navy blokes around in the public areas makes it clear that overall one is not trusted and is in a jail of sorts, but the people working here that I’ve had to deal with have been pleasant: just regular humans doing their jobs. I think that’s important for us to remember, even if we completely disagree with the current storm of zealous regulations and family separating, relationship destroying, small-and-medium business wrecking ‘public health measures’. People generally have good intentions, I’m still inclined to believe. We get caught up in things that are bigger than ourselves; I try to remind myself of that and not to channel my dislike of the current state of affairs against those actors involved in it.

Here are some snaps to give you an idea of the current managed isolation set up at the Sudima:

My room on level 2
My room on level 2
We're all given a thick handbook upon checking in.
We're all given a thick handbook upon checking in.
MIQ handbook table of contents.
The contents.
Excerpt from MIQ Handbook: 'Moving our body can move our mood', I like that!
Surprisingly wise words from the Government. 'Moving our body can move our mood', I like that!
A reminder.
Each room has a serious looking and sounding mains power air filter. They also have these fitted in the hotel corridors.
In addition to the usual hotel goodies: tea, coffee, hot chocolate sachets, etc etc, they threw in 10L of spring water. That's a thoughtful touch.
Occupants are room bound prior to receiving their blue band. Blue bands are handed out after day one covid PCR test results are returned negative. Once given a blue band one can call up and book a time to go outdoors. Having decided that I wouldn't relax much outdoors being monitored by navy personnel, I decided I'd just wait the week out inside. So, I haven't been out and cannot tell you what the process is like.
Each day with dinner a printout of the next days meal options are included.
Each breakfast, lunch and dinner is delivered in a cardboard bag.
Tuesday's breakfast with bonus fruit, as I'd asked for fruit in place of bolognese for lunch.
Thursday's lunch: nicely put together wraps.
Thursday's dinner: 'market bowl salad' they call it.
Lucky last for now: The MIQ handbook has a page on alcohol deliveries.