I read recently that an Australian health official, said that they doubted if the external border would be fully open, this year 2021

I never kept a link, as it was about people in the tourist industry complaining

I assume that it can be googled, for any who wish to know the full story

I think that future overseas travel, (for me as a tourist), is just not on my radar any more

I look at the worst scenario, hoping for the best

The worst scenario could be (I hope it is not)
Vaccine not 100% effective/more mutants of virus/people selling fake Covid free cards/some countries putting wealth before health/etc

I can visualise our external border closing very quickly, during any new health crises

I would much prefer to be stuck, somewhere in Australia, instead of overseas

Tony Bev wrote:

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I read recently that an Australian health official, said that they doubted if the external border would be fully open, this year 2021

I never kept a link, as it was about people in the tourist industry complaining

I assume that it can be googled, for any who wish to know the full story

I think that future overseas travel, (for me as a tourist), is just not on my radar any more

I look at the worst scenario, hoping for the best

The worst scenario could be (I hope it is not)
Vaccine not 100% effective/more mutants of virus/people selling fake Covid free cards/some countries putting wealth before health/etc

I can visualise our external border closing very quickly, during any new health crises

I would much prefer to be stuck, somewhere in Australia, instead of overseas

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 Very important point.

oldbloke wrote:

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Like many when the virus hit our overseas trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was cancelled.  Its starting to look like you've done a fair bit of dough. However, looking forward I'm thinking will we ever travel overseas again? I think it'll be about 2 years before it's safe. Had planned 3 or 4.

What are people thinking of doing, overseas trips or not bothering and stick with traveling around OZ?

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 Hello old bloke, we setoff to travel around australia 5 years ago. 8 weeks in strop was diagnosed with cancer. Major surgery, chemo so we stayed put About a year. Then 5 years worth of regular checkups Etc. we got as far north as mossman, as far west as winton and as far south as great  ocean road.  was starting to  plan  our round australia trip again , i broke my leg  and ankle with steal plate n 10 pins and its a long recovery. Covid struck.  Strop got all clear  recently. So happy about that. I doubt we will ever do that trip now. Just be happy to do shorter trips. You can find joy everywhere. No need to travel overseas or around a australia. Happiness n joy will b found if you look for it. Life is good no matter where we are. Enjoy rocket

I resemble that Chief. Where are you Blaze

There are 100's even 1000's of Australians who have RVs, cabins, 2nd homes overseas etc etc and they are stuck here. How do they maintain those assets? Sooner or later the international borders have to open. Vaccine won't stop the spread of covid. No vaccine has even said it would. So we have to find ways to maintain, control and live with covid. Heck we can't even plan interstate travel. What hope have we got of planning an overseas holiday? Tourism is a dying industry.

Have been to Tassie 5 times. In 1992 went on the Sea Cat. Went on the same Sea Cat across the English Channel & a hover craft a long time ago.

 

-- Edited by Whenarewethere on Thursday 21st of January 2021 08:18:22 PM

We feel fortunate in that we have done a fair bit of OS travel  ..  Eng, Ire, Scotland, Western Europe including such as France, Germany Holland?, Greece, Italy, and lots more, plus China, Singapore & a bit of the US including Hawaii, not forgetting NZ, Tas & Norfolk Is.

Very little when you compare notes with others of our demographic.  All of ours felt like 'A taste of ... '   Just enough for you to want to return for longer to really experience the places.

Never done a cruise except for an overnight from Greece to Italy & have no interest in doing another.  Just as well perhaps.

SWMBO would love to do more but at age 80 for me, insurance, health & mobility become issues.

 

I think that we will be content with a few more years of caravanning around Qld and down the East Coast with longer stop overs rather than touring.  We may have to restrict our o'seas trips to Straddy, Moreton & Bribie .... LOL.

 

More than happy with our lot & convinced that our societies will eventually overcome Covid19, with perhaps a new sort of tourism becoming the norm.

We have a friend who chases summer every 6 months between England & Australia for both her homes & does her own maintenance. Currently stuck in England!

No. I'm not smart enough to buy a RV in a foreign country and then complain that it is hard to keep the thing registered or the tyres balanced or rotated or the drink holders lubricated per the service manual. Surely the Clever People who bought these RV's in foreign lands did think about how they were going to keep the wiper washer bottle full before they bought the thing. Too hard to do it now? Get rid of it or stop moaning about it. I don't think the Federal Govt needs to worry too much about that situation. I'd rather they keep focusing on a cure for Covid

What if tour operators were to offer cruises where the tourists and crew never disembarked, except at Australian ports?

For me the 2 most relevent points from previous posts -

"I would much prefer to be stuck, somewhere in Australia, instead of overseas"

"the risk of getting caught up in some overseas health system"

 

I was part of a team working in South Africa when covid started to become an issue, the Australian Govt. had just put out a warning for all Australians to get home before international travel ceased. In emergency meetings these 2 points were the major concerns brought up by the team especially knowing that if the virus got a hold in South Africa the health system wouldn't be able to cope. To their credit the company moved heaven and earth to get us out and even though we had to do a bit of driving to find an airport operating domestic flights we managed we got home a couple of days before the compulsory hotel quarantine came into effect. When we left South Africa there had only been 9 positive tests - Australia had over a hundred and the number was quickly rising mainly due to that Sydney cruise ship fiasco. 

Since we left I have been following the evolution of the virus in South Africa because not only do I have friends over there but going back to complete the project would rely on the pandemic being under control. Yesterday SA reported more than 1.3 million cases and over 38,000 deaths had occured so far, there has been a mutant strain found and they have run out of caskets and places to bury people in some parts of the country. That feeling of being completely helpless, stranded and reliant on a suspect health system is not something that I am in a hurry to experience again.

Maybe I've been traumatised but I for one will not be travelling abroad or even interstate until the virus has been controlled, governments have shown us a number of times that are ready to slam their borders shut without notice.  At the moment  "I would prefer to be stuck here at home in NSW rather than somewhere else".

BB

 

 

bgt wrote:

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Mariner30 do you really believe what you are saying?

"Surely the Clever People who bought these RV's in foreign lands did think about how they were going to keep the wiper washer bottle full before they bought the thing." And you knew that covid was coming and they didn't!

Really I've seen some selfish dumb comments of forums but this has to at the top of the pile.

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 A bit like some of your comments Mr High and mighty, is that your phone ringing? I think its Craig Kelly calling..

Ian

-- Edited by Wanda on Friday 22nd of January 2021 09:22:02 AM

The government did say come home but the government also said if you have a secure job and accommodation, stay put. Peoples situations have changed.

 

The situation now is a bit like the old Ghan joke:

A lady asked the train driver, when is the train going to arrive as I am pregnant.

The driver said, you should not have got on the train pregnant.

She said, when I got on the train I was not pregnant!

Mariner30 when you attack someone for having some form of sympathy for others you have lost all credibility. And for other to use a certain political figure as a point in a debate all I can say is that your political view is clouding any sense of an open discussion.