With the onset of Covid19 the mind starts wandering as to what I can I do and what will happen in the future. There is a lot of conjecture out there as effects on society and what will happen on the other side of this. Being a traveler the sad reality is “Overseas Travel” is over for the foreseeable future. That being the case, its time to think about “Domestic Travel”.
Various Australian State Government’s are talking about opening up the currently closed borders by Christmas and there are good signs this will happen. The Federal Government has embraced isolation, closing our international borders, publishing stats on the spread and talking up how fortunate Australia is, mind you I don’t feel fortunate. The Government is also providing income for the newly unemployed population and propping up the tourism and airline industry who have been decimated by Covid.
Currently there is no vaccine, no cure and no guarantee there will be. Global Powers are blaming each other for what is happening, sending mixed messages to their populations about with phrases such as “Opening up the economy” while other Government’s say nothing at all. There are frankly pipe dream discussions about the Olympics going ahead, the sad reality it may do one day but it won’t be 2021. People are buying cruise ship tickets for 2021 believing this will be over by then, gathering in large social groups for support which is human nature but the more we gather the more Covid spreads.
So what can we do… my plan is to hang tight and looks to the future, and if International Travel is off the table, well then my way forward is “Travel at Home”. For me that’s going to be Road Trips. Domestic airline flights will become more expensive in the short term and International flights are at least 2 or more years away. So its time to look to my own country for an adventure.
Whilst in many ways I’m jealous of overseas countries which is why I Roam overseas, Asia, Europe and South America with its cultural diversity, the USA with its sizeable road network, National Parks and cities. Australia is equal in size to the USA, it has less cities but also many beautiful parks and for me nicer beaches. So that is where Ill be heading when the Borders open up by Christmas. My intention is to Road Trip to Broken Hill, South Australia, up the middle of the county to Kakadu and loop around the East Coast and head back home.
In 2004 I drove around Australia for a year, largely fruit picking, staying in work hostels and meeting many backpackers both local and international (this also explains the poor quality attached photos). I had an amazing time and hope to write about it one day. The point is think and live in the now, plan and dream about the future and travel. When we come out of this the world may not look like what it once was, so look to your own countries, there are amazing things to see. There will be a tourism industry that will need your support and if you can afford it buy a car and drive. Its not just the destination but the journey.
So right now Blog about travel, post photos, talk it up. Learn more about about your home and write about where you have been, it’s all about community. Most of all go with your gut, stay safe and see you out there on the road somewhere.
Endless Roaming 
Thanks, particularly for the beautiful photos.
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Thank you they were a few of the better ones. I learnt after that trip to get a better camera. Amazing landscapes and looks like I’ll get the time to see more 🙂
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Wow nice photos. Do those big birds kick or do they stay at a distance?
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They tend to stay away from people but these emu birds seem somewhat domesticated. They don’t kick but they can peck pretty hard, they run fast too 🙂
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Haha I even have roosters chase me around, I would be frightened to get close to those emu birds.
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There are bigger animals out bush than emus 😉
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I’m sure therefore I’m glad I’m at the other side of the pond 😉
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An emu named Gonzo followed me around in a sanctuary on my first visit to Australia in 1986. Looking back at the photos, I can see I was quite attractive. No, actually, I think he thought I had food in my camera bag!
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They went straight for my barbecue, didn’t seem to concerned I was still cooking it 🙂
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Did the Darwin – Kimberley – Broome thing 20 something years ago also – Nothing else in Oz tops the Kimberley in my opinion. I have spent many years living and working overseas and I have done a fair bit of travel besides but nothing like the amount you have done. Like you say Corona has pretty much buggered up any serious overseas travel plans you may have had for the foreseeable future anyway so you need to get out and ‘do’ Oz before the mining companies dig it all up and sell it to China (notwithstanding the fact that they have already dug up and sold a fair bit of it to them already!). I already decided to call it day on living / working / traveling overseas some years ago (getting too old for all that) and just stay and ‘do’ the UK instead. There are so many places here that I haven’t seen.
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Terrific post…travel, even road trips will be a challenge in the immediate future. But, we will take it day by day, plan road trips (I had one planned for mid-May which will be revised)…and international travel will be on our horizon….keep roaming…all the best
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Definitely, so as soon as Australia opens up, whenever that is, I’ll be hitting the open road, with a better camera. We’ll get out there again one day 🙂
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I’m just glad I got a lot of traveling in 2019. Came into LAX (Los Angeles) from Mexico on March 7th to have the Bay Area (San Francisco) in shelter in place 2 days after I got back. Have barely left the house since, it helps that I made the most out of last year before the whole world shut down. Hope you’re well!!
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For sure I was overseas for 9 months in 2019, it turns out I was very fortunate. Now just a lot of time to reflect on it but once this is over will grab the keys to the car and hit the open road. Good luck and stay safe 👍
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You too fellow adventurer!! I signed up for a stair climb in Oct to give me a road trip & something to train/look forward to. We’ll get back to blogging adventures instead of this soon I hope! Take care
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Hope so, starting to go a little stir crazy in Sydney. Hopefully can hit the road in a few months, at least my travel my state. You too take care
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That’s a great idea! That’s what I do, write about my own country and where I live. I bc did also live in Perth for 23 years so considering myself half Aussie now 😃
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Nice one Perth is a lovely city, I believe the most isolated city in the world. It’s been 16 years since I drive around Oz, figure it’s time for a second look 🙂
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Ah yes, we’re particularly isolated down here, but there are physical borders to stop the spread. One miserly good thing, I suppose! The only option is the back yard tour, and Oz is one big country to see. I spent a few formative years in Adelaide in the dim dark past. I have a soft spot foe it still. Thanks for the drop by.
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I’m keen to get out there again and take another look. Figure Oz being locked off from the rest of the world will be at least 2 years so will be time to explore and there is nothing more isolated than being in the Outback
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We used to have emus on our farm in Spain, beautiful creatures but you don’t want to be caught by them if you are taking their eggs!!
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For sure they are a lot faster than us and have a mighty peck on them 🙂
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Wonderful to see photos from another part of our world.
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Thank you these were taken a while ago though I don’t imagine it’s changed in the Outback much 🙂
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Nice post and beautiful pictures. Interesting picture of emu. They are really big birds! Thank you!
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The emu was trying to eat my barbeque, they are all through the caravan park I was staying at
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