Joy McClymont's two children have spent the past week packing up their bags and preparing to make the long journey back to boarding school this weekend.
The family lives on a property 100 kilometres from Longreach in outback western Queensland.
It takes them two days to travel to Toowoomba, where both her daughters attend high school as boarding students.
"There's a bit to do — labelling clothes, schoolbooks, figuring out what to take and what to leave," Ms McClymont said.
This weekend, boarding families from all over regional Queensland will be hitting the road and jumping on planes, ahead of school returning on Monday.
But for some outback families, like Joy McClymont, the possibility of a long journey back home if a student tests positive to COVID-19 remains very real.
"I'm slightly concerned that something will happen, as anyone would be as a parent," Ms McClymont said.
New close contact rules applauded
Earlier this week, key boarding school groups and Queensland Health held an 11th-hour meeting to update guidelines for boarding school students.
Under the new advice, close contacts in boarding houses will now be defined as anyone sleeping either side of a positive case, rather than entire boarding rooms.
Boarding house staff will also be deemed critical workers and allowed to work, as long as they continue to test negative.
The Australian Boarding School Association chief executive Richard Stokes said the clarification was a "step in the right direction" ahead of school starting next week.
"We've had kids back in boarding schools for a week. That's been probably the greatest frustration."
Louise Martin from the Queensland branch of the Isolated Children's Parents' Association welcomed the updated advice for boarding students but said the risk of an outbreak was still "very real".
"There's a lot of anxiety within families and staff with Omicron peaking right now," she said.
"You've got lots of kids living in [boarding] houses, in close quarters. Only time will tell to see how that will play out."
Ms Martin said under the new guidance, whether or not a student was sent home or allowed to quarantine on campus, if positive, would be decided between parents and schools.
"If the parent lives a reasonable distance away from the school, they are welcome to come and pick up their child," she said.
Outback families taking it 'step by step'
Longreach mother Joy McClymont said most parents living in remote areas did not have the time or resources to travel long distances to collect children if required.
She's still undecided if she will bring her daughters home if either caught COVID-19 while at school.
"It would depend on the situation," Ms McClymont said.
"I'm just taking it step by step."
NSW parent Kate Bradshaw is facing a similar dilemma sending her daughter, Ruby, to boarding school in Townsville.
"I'm a bit concerned about how many students are going to actually be able to isolate if there's an outbreak," she said.
"It can all happen very quickly."
Ms Bradshaw said her daughter was excited to get back to face-to-face learning after spending the first two weeks online.
"She's keen to get back to see her mates and to get back into sport and see her teachers and get into a proper routine," she said.
