I’ve tried planning trips before and then lockdowns happened. The trip was postponed. We planned again, another lockdown. In the end, we gave up.
Now that they have let Omicron rip and our governments don’t seem to care too much anymore how the COVID virus and its variants affect people, I have to start asking if it is safe to plan some trips away again.
Well, I have made plans for a couple of trips. One is local in my state and the other is a massive trip interstate. Both should be safe and not in crowded situations and mostly outdoors.
I’ve spoken about my views on travel before and one of the things that really concerns me is whether or not I’m doing more damage to the environment by doing these trips. I know that I’m not always going to be successful in that, but I hope by going into them with that view that will help me reduce my impact as much as possible.
Trip 1 Beechworth
The first trip away is a small one. We will only be gone for a couple of days. It will be a nice way to get back into getting out to take photos again.
Beechworth is a historic area and is perhaps most famous for the bushranger Ned Kelly. I guess he is our own version of Jessie James. He was an outlaw. He is quite famous for his suit of armour when he was caught. He ended up being hanged in Melbourne Gaol in 1880.
There are lots of old places to visit in that area and I’m really looking forward to visiting. I’ve never really been there before. I went once when I was about 16 or 17, but I don’t really remember it.
Trip 2 Central Australia
This is going to be a massive trip. We made the decision not to fly there and instead drive. If you start in Melbourne and drive continuously it will take about 25 hours, but we decided to do it over three days. This way we will be able to see a lot more of the country.
Our first stop is going to be the big rock or Uluru. We are spending about 3 days there and have a few tours organised. We are going to do a couple of flights, and I feel guilty, but as I said I will have to make sure I do others that will be better. It seems like an incredible way to view the area by air and I’m looking forward to it.
Once we leave there we will head to Alice Springs and spend a few days there before heading home.
It is such an iconic part of Australia and a place I’ve always wanted to go. I am so happy that I am finally getting the chance to go.
Should I go overseas again?
Big question really.
I would love to go to New Zealand again. I have to decide soon as my passport will expire in 2025 and I don’t think I want to renew it. So I’m trying to decide if I should squeeze in one more trip before then. Maybe in 2024. My last big trip to another country.
I thought for some photos today I might share with you a number of images I’ve taken on previous trips.
We had a weekend in Griffith end of March, are planning an overnighter to the Blue Mts next week, have booked and paid for 12 days in Fiji end of July, and a month in South Australia from the end of August. The first and last trips were rebookings due to having been knocked on the head by the Sydney lockdown last year. I’m trying to think positively about future travel.
Those trips sound wonderful. I’ve never been to the blue mountains, have always wanted to go and explore, but haven’t got there yet. Fuji sounds good. You have lots of trips planned. That is great, it is nice to get out, but it is also nice being home. I think I love home so much. Thanks again Rose.
I think we all hanker for past travel freedoms. Would love to plan some overseas trips but I think our tripsios will be closer to home
Oops sent before ready. The last sentence should be ‘trips will be closer to home ‘. My not be as adventurous but will still seem exciting after all those restrictions. Maybe over cautious but just a little more patience seems appropriate for now
Yeah, I think my trips will be closer to home too David, but more so I think in my country. Australia is a big country so it will be nice to see more of it. I don’t think I will ever really travel overseas again. I might do one more trip to New Zealand, but that is it for me. Thank you David.
That sums up our approach. Plenty to see in the UK so o guess its no hardship. Take care
I have been watching Shetland, I would love to go there, it looks incredible. Have you been DAvid.
How lovely to have two road trips to look forward to. When you’re in Beechworth, look out for Aaron Sherritt in the Ned Kelly museum. He is Mr ET’s great great uncle.
Thank you Carol, it is great to have them to look forward to, hopefully, nothing changes and they have to be cancelled. I don’t know if we are going to the museum, but if we do I will definitely look for him now.
It’s tiny and won’t take you long but well worth a visit.
I will let Sandra know and see if we can fit it in.
The trips you have planned sound exciting, especially to the red centre! Looking forward to seeing what you come back with. Not sure why you would not renew your passport? It is such a rigmarole if you let it expire and have to start again!
I am excited about the trips, should be good to really see more of the country that I live in. I am not going to renew my passport because I don’t plan on travelling overseas again. I made that decision a couple of years ago. So I see it as a waste of money now. Thank you Chris.
A great set of photographs. I remember some of them. The issue with the environment does make for endless conundrums about almost everything. Unless one crawls into a hole and does nothing they are hard to avoid. I think at the end of the day one just has to live and do one’s best without giving up everything. The problems really need to be solved at a more universal level that we all buy into.
Thank you RJ.The issue with the environment is definitely that. I don’t know about crawling into a hole, but I hope that if I don’t do too much and do everything I can while home that will help offset it. We have the solar panels and try to use as little fossil fuel in our everyday lives, so that has to count for something we hope. I know it has to be done at a universal level, the problem we have here in Australia is a federal government that doesn’t see that we should do anything. It is kind of scary. Hopefully the election in May will see him gone.
So many beautiful photos from previous trips, Leanne! The New York photos are so beautiful. I say go for all the travels you can handle, enjoy!
Thank you John, I have been lucky to visit some incredible places. I don’t know how much travelling I will do, but I hope to do more.