If this place was a holiday destination it would review very poorly on tripadvisor. Poor food and smoky rooms for $2500. Yes, it is a quarantine facility, but value for service and money, zilch. A handbook provides some information on Howard Springs. You’ll be provided with this on arrival or you can try and get it from NT Health.

Howard Spring’s Quarantine Single Room

In summary:

Rooms

SINGLE rooms are comfortable enough with:

  • 1 x Single bed
  • Bench/desk area and chair
  • Drawers and wardrobe (no hangers)
  • Air conditioning
  • TV
  • En-suite
  • Fridge
  • Jug, teabags/sugar/coffee, paper cups
  • Many power points
  • Linen change on 7th day

The rooms are in four-room units with a common verandah. These units are run in lanes. There are a few laundries. No gardens, just rocks and a few trees. The sections are fenced off by 6 foot high chicken wire fences. If you do not smoke you will not be given the option of being in a smoke free block.

Half Way Trophy – fresh linen on day 7

Food

3 meals a day are provided and are unhealthy and repetitive. We were given no option of what was on offer when we arrived. When I tried to change to continental breakfast I was asked why I didn’t specify that when I arrived. (!?) I also requested a healthier option after my body and my head could take no more of the high sugar, high fat diet. All of a sudden I was a gluten-intolerant, dairy-free (but receiving yoghurt) vegetarian. The meals were ridiculous eg, I received a large bag of salt n vinegar chips, chocolate covered muesli bars, 1 litre of almond milk, and sugary gluten-free cereals that looked like cat food for breakfast.

See the menu of food we received while at Howard Springs.

Inedible bun, S&P sachets, butter/marg, plastic cutlery provided with every meal.

There is a lot of waste and no-recycling on site. We were stunned to see the catering staff dumping meals in the bin near us.

The continental breakfast is full of sugar and plastic waste

Breakfast
Continental
  • Small pack of cereal (coco-pops/nutri-grain/cornies)
  • Small yoplait yoghurt
  • Small pack of milk
  • Two boiled and peeled eggs
  • Stewed apple cake thing
  • Fruit popper drink
  • Piece of fruit
Cooked
  • Some combo of dough, eggs, chicken, cheese, potato and baked beans.
  • Fruit popper drink
  • Piece of fruit

Lunch was the same each day, sandwich, salad…

Lunch
  • Meat sandwich or chicken wrap, alternate days
  • Salad. Generally a base of chick peas, peas, corn, tomato, onion and cucumber with a bit of green on top
  • Piece of fruit
  • Fruit popper drink
Dinner
  • Mostly roasted red meat, gravy, potato and boiled vegetables. What I saw for the vegetarians wasn’t good. 
  • Cake (lemon, orange, banana, carrot, chocolate on rotation)

Main plus vegetarian option. The tiramisu cake was nice.

Ordering items from “outside”

“Click and Collect” is available from Coles, Woolies, Target and Kmart.

We ordered a few things from Coles. Our order arrived incomplete and it took several calls over the next few days to get it delivered.

$50 minimum order. Restrictive if this is only meant to be a supplementary service.

Exercise

20 minutes outdoors twice a day. This isn’t policed. In fact, not much is.

There’s no where to walk except around the lanes about the accommodation.

There’s not a lot of space in your room for yoga or other exercise.

We tried doing a virtual walk – watching something on screen while walking on the spot.
Received a text from NT Borders telling us to mind our neighbours and keep the noise down.

Laundry

There are washing machines on site and powder is provided.

Internet

Good generally/surprisingly. Free service, able to stream.

Alcohol

No alcohol.

Smoking

Smoking is supported here. Smoke on your verandah and don’t worry about running out since you can buy more from vending machines in the laundry.

support

Don’t expect any. We were given no information on arrival.

Reception and Welfare will refer messages to each other and nothing gets done but blaming you.

Getting home

After being escorted out to Howard Springs under police guard, having to spend $2500pp, you then have to make your own way home.

If you can bring some things from home/boat

We packed:

  • Coffee pot and two cups. Only disposable cups and instant coffee are provided in the room.
  • Plastic drinking glasses – again, only disposable cups provided.
  • Cutlery set. Plastic are provided with each meals but are cheap and nasty, the kind where the fork won’t stick into a piece of pasta.
  • A sharp knife and something to cut on
  • Computer/tablet with HDMI cable – live stream shows through the TV screen
  • Books/hobbies
  • A few snacks