It’s been a long and angst-filled road for many grey nomads but the full Big Lap is now looking like being back on the agenda.
Today, Tasmania has lowered the proverbial drawbridge and is once again welcoming interstate travellers from all across the country, including those from Covid ‘hotspots’
Entry requirements vary, depending on where travellers have been, how long they spent there and their vaccination status, but the overarching message is clear … we’re learning to live with Covid.
Of course, Queensland took a similar step on Monday. And South Australia did so a few weeks back. And now, Western Australia has also announced it will start welcoming travellers from all over the country again from February 5.
It is hoped that the state will have reached its 90% fully vaccinated target by then, although there are concerns that certain areas are falling behind. Some regions including the Pilbara, the Goldfields, and the Kimberley, have ‘dramatically’ lower vaccination rates compared to the rest of the state.
Premier Mark McGowan has warned that if vaccination rates in those areas don’t improve, other public health measures could be imposed.
For grey nomads, this idea of having different restrictions in different parts of the same state is something they might have to get used to.
The ABC reports that among other regulations, from December 20, the NT Government wants vaccinated visitors to remain in approved high-vaccination zones for 14 days on arrival in the Territory.
Tourism Central Australia (TCA) chief executive Danial Rochford says the rules will stop visitors and residents from visiting key tourism destinations over the holiday period, including Uluru, Kings Canyon and the east and west MacDonnell ranges.
Mr Rochford said that TCA had written to Tourism Minister Natasha Fyles calling for a central Australian tourism bubble.
“It would mean that people would be able to visit central Australia’s key tourist icons,” he said. “We’re hopeful that government will listen to the concerns of the industry.”
Ms Fyles said the Territory was transitioning from a pandemic footing to an endemic and the uncertainty would continue.
“It has certainly been a very bumpy ride and unfortunately that will continue into the future,” she said. “But we will continue to listen closely to industry and work with them.”
All of this is happening, of course, against the backdrop of the new Omicron variant starting to circulate more widely across the world.
While, by some metrics, the high vaccination rates and associated ‘freedoms’ have helped to give more certainty to grey nomads planning the Big Lap, it’s fair to say that the road ahead may have some more Covid-inspired twists and turns yet.
The world is a totally different place nowadays compared to pre-Covid times,
too many variables & unknowns.
Who knows what’s around corner?
Hopefully the situation stabilizes & becomes much less turbulent in the future.
There’s plenty that we still haven’t seen in our home state even after many years of traveling.
Our biggest issue is uncertainty, we normally do 2 x 1 month, and 1 x 5 month, trip each year. Being based in NSW with lots to see, one month trips are reasonably easy to plan, over 30 days you can factor in a lot of flexibility.
The 5 month trips are a different story, border closures and a ZSydney Met lockdown effectively ‘killed off’ our Cape York trip for 2021. Our 2022 plan is another ‘1/2 lap’ going in the opposite direction as last time. This trip involves going into/through 4 different states, NSW/SA/NT and WA.
Even simple things like seeing Tennant Creek in the NT suddenly locked down gives us cause for concern. It is pretty hard to by-pass Tennant Creek if you are heading from Alice Springs to Katherine, even obtaining fuel for that leg would need a rethink.
Fully understand and appreciate the need for caution, there are lots of vulnerable communities that shouldn’t be exposed just so us Grey Nomads can holiday, but it still doesn’t make the planning process any easier.