While the WA border looks set to remain shut to the rest of the country for a while yet, there is cautious optimism that we have reached the peak of the Omicron wave in most states and territories.
While it’s fair to say that the speed of the new variant’s spread – along with the knock-on effects of chronic staff shortages and a supply chain crisis – caught many people off guard, there seems to be a sense that we are now just ‘getting on with it’.
The Federal Government has been indicating that we need to ‘push on’ and repeating a message of people taking ‘individual responsibility’ … and it’s clear that different people are comfortable with different levels of ‘risk’.
And that’s most certainly true in the grey nomad world.
Keith and Judy’s camp at Imlay Creek, NSW, on a pre-Covid trip. They plan to camp as far away from people as possible.
Keith And Judy Humphreys are in the cautious camp. The couple used to spend about six months a year travelling, but that all came to an abrupt halt two years ago. With pre-existing medical conditions, the pair have largely been in self-imposed isolation, and have had their groceries home delivered along with everything else they ordered via the internet.
“We were double vaccinated at the earliest opportunity and had our booster shot six months later,” said Keith. “We still don’t feel comfortable mixing with other people due to the current amount of infection in society.”
Nonetheless, the Humphreys are about to dip their toes in the travelling waters again, and will soon take their caravan for three weeks bush camping in Victoria’s Mallee region.
“Besides purchasing fuel and buying provisions at a small town general store, staying at a donation camping area for one night in between bush camps will be our only contact with other people,” said Keith. “We’ll be wearing masks and we won’t be participating in any Happy Hour gathering.”
They say that, if that jaunt is successful, they may take similar ‘low-contact’ trips during the coming year.
However, not all travellers are quite as wary.
Bonita Rust is one of them.
“Not Covid nor anything else will stop me from being on the road in my Coaster,” she said. “I love the freedom and I actually feel safer away from big cities.”
And while Ian Clarke suspects Covid will be with us for a long time to come, he says travel can still be fun.
“We’ll continue to disinfect our hands, keep a distance from others and we will, in time, live with it,” he said.
• How do you feel about being on the open road now? Do you feel comfortable that travelling sensibly can equate to travelling safely? Comment below.
We have been planing our Trip “The Turtles Long Way Home” now for 2 years and nothing is going to stop me from going. As long as we take all the precautions and accept the guidelines given by the Powerz to Be, we shouldn’t have too many issues. Keep our masks on, avoid places that are too crowded, like caravan parks, and sanitizer etc. I can’t wait – however my husband is a little more sceptical than me. He feels that with our borders being opened too soon (yes we are in WA) we will have major problems with the virus.
I guess it a “Wait & See” game at the moment.
We are both fully vaccinated with boosters. We done as much as humanly possible to be safe.
People who are scared of this virus should do what they feel is right for them. I think the facts support us getting on with living, after all, less people have passed in the last two years than prior to this virus being discovered. Some have complications with their health and there is nothing the rest of us can do to help them with that. Except sympathize, and I do provided their problems are not self inflicted.
I am 78yy and do not wish to stay at home for 1 more day. And please can we be one Australia again.
We didn’t travel last year as there were reports of caravan parks and camping sites being overwhelmed with numbers. Hubby didn’t want to take the risk of being unable to find a site. I like to adopt the casual approach and not book ahead as we’ve lost money leaving early having paid for five days and having to go home due to family issues after two days.
We are double vaxxed, and boostered but I have COPD so we’ve been as careful as possible at home in Perth. I do feel that on the open road, that it will be possible to avoid close contact. We meet people outdoors, and will just not invite people inside for a “cuppa” but will socialise outdoors. My major issue now is having to sort bookings for the NT with all the uncertainty that covid produces. So hoping we do manage to travel this time.