The Travel Thread

[sensesmaybenumbed]

We're booked for Fiji at the same time, so if nothing changes too much will likely go. But it's a waiting game really.

Yeah. Headed to Japan, but very likely for them to close the borders there if cases here increase, which is likely

 

[Bazal]

Welp, there we are.

All of us travellers look cooked

 

[Misanthrope]

Guess I'm Georgian now!

 

[horrie hastings]

Yes going to go through all my documentation when I get back from up the coast this Friday, thankfully most of the trip only small deposits were paid or things didn’t need to pay before May and can be cancelled, main sticking point will be accomodation in Spain which has been paid fully and the airfare, both were booked and paid for last September, airfare doesn’t look to be a problem, a friend who had an identical fare through the same airline at around the same time we were to travel and same destination got a full refund a couple of days ago and they had booked the fare later than we did.

Supposed to be going to Melbourne Wednesday next week but Mrs Horrie wants to cancel, going to check it out more when home on Friday, I still want to go but who knows;, the decision might be taken out of my hands with things changing every day.

 

[horrie hastings]

Had friends who left for a trip to Turkey, Egypt and Jordon Monday last week, we all said they were stupid for going and to cancel but they said no they will be right. Got sent a face book posting from a friend from one on them , having a great time walking around Istanbul but our worse fears have just been realised with the borders to Egypt and Jordan are now closed so will be heading back to Sydney on the next available flight then going straight into lock down. Everyone we know including ourselves are saying we told you so.

 

[horrie hastings]

Just received an email from the organiser of the cruise we were doing around Turkey and the Greek Islands basically saying don’t believe everything you hear and it’s business as usual and the cruise is still going ahead, I have only paid the deposit which is totally refundable up till early May so will be cancelling it all together when we get back to Sydney.

 

[Misanthrope]

The Australian government just put out the call to all foreign-based Australians to come home. What odds we're closing the border?

My American wife and I have some tough decisions to make in the immediate future. Georgia has been relatively quiet so far, but given it is a religious state where they think prayer can halt a pandemic, I worry that it's about to go awry.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

The Australian government just put out the call to all foreign-based Australians to come home. What odds we're closing the border?

My American wife and I have some tough decisions to make in the immediate future. Georgia has been relatively quiet so far, but given it is a religious state where they think prayer can halt a pandemic, I worry that it's about to go awry.

I think it's too late to cut and run across the globe, mate. Stocked up?

 

[Misanthrope]

I think it's too late to cut and run across the globe, mate. Stocked up?

Not especially, but we live above an import grocery store and a regular grocery store, both of which were still very well-stocked tonight.

I've got a Georgian friend who works for the opposition government here who thinks they'll declare a state of emergency soon, so I think the missus and I will head down first thing tomorrow and grab what we can.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

Not especially, but we live above an import grocery store and a regular grocery store, both of which were still very well-stocked tonight.

I've got a Georgian friend who works for the opposition government here who thinks they'll declare a state of emergency soon, so I think the missus and I will head down first thing tomorrow and grab what we can.

Just get what you need. The thing that confuses me is the obsession with loo rolls and nobody getting meds. I won't deny that I've got a small stockpile, but I need it for living.

 

[Misanthrope]

Just get what you need. The thing that confuses me is the obsession with loo rolls and nobody getting meds. I won't deny that I've got a small stockpile, but I need it for living.

I'll mostly grab rice, pasta, and canned goods. Just in case we can't get out to shop or restaurants stop delivering food.

 

[Phillips]

Had to postpone my America and Hawaii holiday i had planned for May.

 

[Misanthrope]

Our May trip to the US for a friend's wedding isn't looking likely either

 

[_Johnsy]

Off to Hobart for a week as of July 7. Going to be freezing, looking forward to having bit of a squiz around tassie.

Any must do's outside of distilleries/wineries/Mona?

 

[horrie hastings]

Off to Hobart for a week as of July 7. Going to be freezing, looking forward to having bit of a squiz around tassie.

Any must do's outside of distilleries/wineries/Mona?

If you get a chance Bruny Island is worth a trip, not sure what your mode of transport will be in Hobart but probably best to book a small tour if you do go to Bruny Island as most of it is dirt road and some of the hire car companies don't allow for their vehicles to be taken onto Bruny. Island. The first time we went we took the hire car onto the island as we were driving all around Tasmania the second time we went to Bruny we just did a tour as we were staying in Hobart so didn't need a hire car.

Are you just staying around the Hobart area ? Otherwise if you are doing the whole island a week wont do it justice.

 

[horrie hastings]

Geez it was interesting reading back over the last couple of pages, it seems such a distant memory now. Ended up getting everything back money wise in the end, gained a bit extra with the exchange rate from the Spanish accommodation refund, lost slightly with the exchange rate from UK and Greece later but it was only a miniscule amount so very happy overall.

 

[_Johnsy]

If you get a chance Bruny Island is worth a trip, not sure what your mode of transport will be in Hobart but probably best to book a small tour if you do go to Bruny Island as most of it is dirt road and some of the hire car companies don't allow for their vehicles to be taken onto Bruny. Island. The first time we went we took the hire car onto the island as we were driving all around Tasmania the second time we went to Bruny we just did a tour as we were staying in Hobart so didn't need a hire car.

Are you just staying around the Hobart area ? Otherwise if you are doing the whole island a week wont do it justice.

Thanks mate,
Going to be around Hobart for a week. Hire a car for a day & head up towards Freycinet. I think Bruny may be best left for another trip & spend a night or two there. If we enjoy it (which I have no doubt we will) I think we’ll head back a few times.

 

[_Johnsy]

Geez it was interesting reading back over the last couple of pages, it seems such a distant memory now. Ended up getting everything back money wise in the end, gained a bit extra with the exchange rate from the Spanish accommodation refund, lost slightly with the exchange rate from UK and Greece later but it was only a miniscule amount so very happy overall.

Initially we booked return flights to Hawaii with Jetstar, all up around 5 & a bit G’s. We booked about a month out from the start of the pandemic & we’re due to leave in July the next year. Obviously they flights were cancelled & we obviously got a flight credit, however Jetstar introduced the “insurance option” on every subsequent flight you book. Of course that isn’t refundable. Depending on the length of the flight the cost of that policy increased.
2 years later after booking numerous flights to Canberra to see our daughter & grand kids. Other trips to various places, each time cancelled due to work commitments & travel bans we ended up getting our return flights to Tassie for our $5000+. Disappointing, but pretty funny nonetheless. I’m fortunate that I was able to see the funny side of this schemozzle, after a fair bit of frustration.

 

[horrie hastings]

Thanks mate,
Going to be around Hobart for a week. Hire a car for a day & head up towards Freycinet. I think Bruny may be best left for another trip & spend a night or two there. If we enjoy it (which I have no doubt we will) I think we’ll head back a few times.

i have been three times to Tasmania now, the first trip i took almost two weeks and drove around staying at different places, totally amazing and still could have done a lot more than what we did, the food , wine and other experiences were amazing, looking forward to doing a trip around the whole island again, yes the next time i want to stay a night or two on Bruny Island.

The second time was just to Launceston to catch up with friends for a few days. The third was just to Hobart but went to Bruny Island again on a tour while there, it was September and bitterly cold with snow on Mount Wellington, still great though, Mona is well worth seeing and even the Salamanca Markets.

I think you will enjoy your trip even with the cold and is a place worth going back to,, there is so much to see and do.

 

[horrie hastings]

Initially we booked return flights to Hawaii with Jetstar, all up around 5 & a bit G’s. We booked about a month out from the start of the pandemic & we’re due to leave in July the next year. Obviously they flights were cancelled & we obviously got a flight credit, however Jetstar introduced the “insurance option” on every subsequent flight you book. Of course that isn’t refundable. Depending on the length of the flight the cost of that policy increased.
2 years later after booking numerous flights to Canberra to see our daughter & grand kids. Other trips to various places, each time cancelled due to work commitments & travel bans we ended up getting our return flights to Tassie for our $5000+. Disappointing, but pretty funny nonetheless. I’m fortunate that I was able to see the funny side of this schemozzle, after a fair bit of frustration.

We were lucky we got a full refund on our European airfare from Cathay Pacific, just had to wait a while but it all came back.

Was due to go to Melbourne in March 2020 after spending a week and a half up on the mid north coast, just got up to where were staying and things started to turn to sh*t covid wise, we were coming back to Sydney just before heading to Melbourne to see a stage show but of course that was cancelled, so we ended up staying up the coast for a few extra days as there was still some normality even though things were starting to shut down up there also, anyway we knew we weren't going to Melbourne so stayed up the coast that bit longer again. so in the end we had a credit from Virgin for the Melbourne trip, we added onto the credit because we planned to go to Townsville in July last year but two weeks before Delta decided to derail everything so had the credit again to use so have booked now for Darwin, flying up on Qantas and coming backing with the credits on Virgin ( plus more $ ), in August, just touch wood it all happens, will be so happy to finally get rid of the Virgin credits.