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So, who's travelling interstate for Christmas/summer?


YodaTheWrinkledOne

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YodaTheWrinkledOne

So, now that borders are (sorta) opening up, who is thinking that they will travel to family for Christmas, or take that 3-week holiday interstate?


We live in NSW, but all our family are in Qld. We haven't seen them since last Christmas. DH and I are debating what we will do, but it's interesting that our parents have concerns about us visiting in case we get "caught out" with a quick border closure and then we have to quarantine when we go home. That's not so much a concern for me as I am able to work from home, but I know that would be an issue for DH, for sure. My borther lives in Victora and they have already decided that they aren't going "home" to Qld for Christmas this year as they can't afford to be quarantined from an interstate visit anyway. I know my brother and SIL (and the kids) are really upset that they haven't seen anyone this year and unlikely to see family for a bit longer, but it is what it is


I think we will play it by ear and make a decision much closer to the time. It's not that big a deal to pack up the car and drive. (I ain't going through any airport!!!)

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We're heading to Kingscliff in a few weeks, it will give us the chance to catch up with Brisbane based friends (they're coming down to us). However if the QLD border opens to VIC, we'll pop up to see my great aunt, as we missed her 90th due to Covid.

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My PIL are asking us to. I said no rather bluntly. We are in WA and they are in NSW so not only is it expensive (it was $4300 for 4 people last time), but I can't guarantee there won't be two weeks quarantine. It's an "at home" year anyway, but they are struggling because they haven't had any of the visits they usually do or interaction with grand kids they usually get except via Facetime. They also didn't get to the UK as per usual this year (they have a house there and family as FIL is English). So, yeah it's off the table here. Most of my friends and family are very similar. My BF isn't travelling into NSW as per usual and family are not travelling into QLD to see them.

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Fruitmincepies

We decided a while back it wasn’t a good idea to plan Christmas away, so we are crossing our fingers we can get to NSW to visit family at Easter.

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I think NSW is probably the safest state to leave for a holiday - our borders have stayed open with the exception of Vic, and that didn’t close until well into the second wave. So you would only need to quarantine at home if you got caught in a specific hotspot, which could happen regardless of where you are.

I am considering a short jump to qld to visit family but nothing definite yet, and it won’t be right on Christmas.

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We are in Sydney and hoping to get to far North Queensland after New Years. Yes, I know it’s the “wrong” time of year but I love the storms and general feel at that time. We were meant to be skiing, but goodness knows when that will happen again.

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I've just booked my flights to Sydney (from WA) to spend Christmas with my parents. My dad isn't well and nearly died earlier this year, so DH and I decided that it was best that I go, just in case it's his last.


I'm sad that I wont be with DH and the kids, but we can't all go (which is what we were planning earlier in the year). And I will have to isolate at home when I get back, but its a small price to pay to be able to hang with mum and dad for while.


Sadly, DH and the kids seem overjoyed that I won't be here! LOL. And they have already had countless invitations to people's houses for Christmas Day, since everyone seems to feel sorry for them that they don't have me here to do everything!

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Fingers crossed, we will be.


I have accommodation bookings that can be cancelled or modified. The activities can all have the dates transferred. Flights can be cancelled too.


We have cut the itinerary down from the original plans to allow for quarantine time, if required, when we come home which is a little sucky but nothing in comparison to what others have to go through. We have children so would likely get sent to a particular hotel which is reasonable because it is a little more spacious and has a balcony for fresh air. Not ideal but considering the hideous transit and transfers we endure to visit some overseas locations, it’s not too bad for the pleasure of visiting some awesome Australian locations.


We actually still have a credit at a Barossa hotel from when our booking was cancelled back in March/April. A month or two ago, I had toyed with the idea of rebooking for now but decided against it because the kids were in exams (it was for 4 couples and some don’t have high schoolers). That was a fortunate decision.


We missed out on the Whitsundays during the September holidays because the resorts we wanted were booked out (after I left it too late because I had a NZ trip booked). Even if international travel open next year, I am not keen to go yet. I am also looking at booking our holidays for next year now and am planning on staying in Australia.


The biggest impediment for me are places that are unwilling to be flexible and understand that Covid can strike anywhere at anytime. Qantas have been great and really easy to deal with. The accommodation providers have been great too. I won’t book with any that are not willing to be flexible.

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We have plans to see my family in the ACT at Christmas. I have an almost 1 year old who has only met grandparents twice (and not since July). We are lucky because we can just hop in the car and drive, then stay with rellies. We don't need to book flights or accommodation. So if the restrictions change we will just stay home and make plans to go when we can.

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We are hoping to drive from VIC to NSW to spend time with DH's brother and SIL. They have a large house so we don't have to book anything. We are hoping to load the car up with baby stuff to pass onto them for when they start a family. It will be a last minute confirmation/ decision though.

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ClaudiaCosette

Most of our immediate family are close by, so we've been lucky. I am too paranoid to take our family of 6 interstate, so we have a local beach holiday booked for January.

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We are planning to go to Melbourne and will accept that we may be stuck in quarantine if circumstances change.


I really haven't been out much at all since COVID happened, air travel is a risk IMO.

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I wouldn’t unless it was to reunite with relatives and I was willing to do 2 weeks quarantine. Months of lockdown and additional self isolation due to being close contacts leaves me with no taste for the risk.

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I wouldn’t unless it was to reunite with relatives and I was willing to do 2 weeks quarantine. Months of lockdown and additional self isolation due to being close contacts leaves me with no taste for the risk.

It's really necessary for personal family reasons and it still makes me very anxious.

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VeritasVinumArte

We will be going from Melbourne to Sydney to visit family. We were lucky to visit them in June (before Melbourne went to shit) and had been pretty much isolated before departure as my Dad has Cancer and has failed chemo and now doing immunotherapy. So we have always been sanitiser and avoid going out as much as possible so we don’t have “hitch hikers”.


So planning on doing the same. Have told kids they have until the 10th Dec to catch up with friends then we will be doing self isolation in preparation of trip. Even in June we did drive through and ate in our cars as we didn’t want any extra exposure.


DH will be taking his laptop for work anyway. We would be happy to home isolate on return.


I am just so happy Dad is going (relatively) well. We usually see him every 4-6wks as he comes to visit (aka getting a break from mum) and his last visit was January. I flew up for the day to celebrate his 75th in February.

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We were booked to go to the NSW Central Coast in the first two weeks of January to visit the inlaws; but with the stuff going on in SA at the moment, who knows if that will happen.

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Not Escapin Xmas

We’re in NSW. Both sets of grandparents and 3 siblings are in Perth. We won’t be going. Waaay too much risk, even though we are missing them terribly. I’m keen on Easter if we can.

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We live in Sydney. We booked a three week road trip back in that June/July (?) period when things were looking good everywhere and before Victoria copped the second wave. Down the Sapphire Coast, over the border to Victoria on December 30, family visits and a few stops along the way, then back into NSW on Jan 10 and a few days down the south coast before heading home.


I was sweating on it a few weeks ago, but much more confident now. I also have flights booked for a quick Melbourne trip on my own in two weeks to finally meet my niece who was born at the end of May.

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I am meeting DS in Canberra and my dad’s is driving us to Victoria. We’ll be in Melbourne for a bit and DS gets to see his cousin got the first time. We should be getting the overnight train back as DS loves trains

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I have booked to fly to Tasmania in January. I have been trying/wanting to go all year, this is my first real chance. It's only flights for one so not too much money at stake if things go wrong. But I don't want to arrive in Tas then be sent home the next day if something goes wrong.

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It's really necessary for personal family reasons and it still makes me very anxious.

 

With Victoria’s great run of donut days (is it 20 now?) plus the reassuring results of sewerage testing, and DA’s caution, I wouldn’t be at all concerned about visiting Melbourne. Flying out of Qld where we are on 70 something days since the last infectious person was in the community is also low risk. Modern planes bring in lots of fresh air so there is surliest risk to catching covid on a flight when following covid safe protocols.

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Ummm everyone is scaring me into wanting to can the trip... Vic to NSW border doesn't normally slam shut too quick right?

 

No, both premiers are more considered in their border decisions.

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With Victoria’s great run of donut days (is it 20 now?) plus the reassuring results of sewerage testing, and DA’s caution, I wouldn’t be at all concerned about visiting Melbourne. Flying out of Qld where we are on 70 something days since the last infectious person was in the community is also low risk. Modern planes bring in lots of fresh air so there is surliest risk to catching covid on a flight when following covid safe protocols.

It's not just the plane itself but the airport.


Some of the people travelling are likely to have been fairly mobile as compared to how I limit my exposure at home.

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It's not just the plane itself but the airport.


Some of the people travelling are likely to have been fairly mobile as compared to how I limit my exposure at home.

 

Yeah, I get your concern.


My DH travels interstate and we had ‘discussions’ about having him self isolate in a hotel when he returned from Sydney earlier in the year before it was declared a hot spot. He thought I was being over the top but the border restrictions came into effect before his trip so it was a moot point for us.


He has just returned from interstate and said the airport was a dream. There was plenty of space around so no issues with social distancing. Hand sanitizer everywhere. The health officials’ screening and paperwork checks were really efficient too. From when he got off the plane to hopping in the car with me at the pick up zone was less than 10mins.

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