A few days later I fell in a heap. Lethargy, weakness and joint pain so bad I could not bend one leg or have the strength to turn on a tap.

I went home and binge-watched Netflix. My partner knew I was sick as I don't watch much telly. I spoke to a doctor friend. Within 30 seconds she said it sounded like a mosquito-borne virus. I went to my GP. She gave me paperwork for a blood test and told me not to worry unless I felt worse.

I thought it was a really bad flu with joint pain that made it almost too painful to stand up. The fever lasted 36 hours. The joint pain subsided but didn't go away. A few days later a friend who was camping with us started showing similar symptoms.

By the end of the week, I was in the tent I was sweating, shaking, aching and hallucinating.

We covered ourselves in mosquito repellent but the little flying bloodsuckers found a chink in my armour. Credit:AP

I took the blood test and waited over the weekend. The results. "Yes. You have Ross River fever."

I called my friend who had been camping with us to let her know. She has had a hard 30 months recovering from breast cancer. She needed to find out if her lethargy was from the ongoing symptoms of post radiation treatment and ongoing hormone medication or the virus. She had taken up jogging to aid her recovery and general fitness. The knee pain from Ross River has severely curtailed that. She too had caught Ross River virus.

I went public on Facebook a few days back asking people about their experiences with "RRF". One mate in the north of the state was diagnosed this summer and has since developed diabetes. Another friend has had it for decades and the original fever re-occurs when she is stressed. My daughter, 10, is now complaining showing symptoms of joint pain and lethargy. So we're off for another blood test.

On good days I have joint pain. On bad days I have joint pain and just want to sleep. The good days out number the bad.

This morning, however, my hand was so weak I dropped a glass and smashed it.