A Nowra florist is the last place you'd expect to be linked to a hostage drama in a city two hours away but that is exactly what happened on Monday, when Sharon Boess picked up the phone.
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On the line was her husband Greg, who works for a communications company in York Street in Sydney, just a few blocks from Martin Place.
He had called to say the company's human resources department had advised its workers to go home.
"Being a florist we don't have a television and play music from our iPods," Mrs Boess said, explaining how the biggest story in Australia in recent years had passed her by.
"Greg said I must have been the only person in the country who didn't know what was going on," she laughed, adding the radio was now tuned to the ABC to keep up with the story.
Mr Boess said his office was not evacuated but being above Wynyard Station, the company thought it best to send the workers home.
"We were watching the story unfold and weren't sure whether the train system would be completely locked down.
"We could see the city vacating and then we were advised to leave as well."
Mr Boess jumped on the train and made his way back to Barrack Point, where he lives.
