To not want to fly to Australia?

[Reluctantflyer]

Our DC is working in Australia for a couple of years, and DH is understandably very keen to visit.
I'd absolutely love to spend time with our wonderful DC and miss them like crazy, but am feeling quite stressed by the prospect of:

A long long flight when I really don't like flying (had bad experience with plane being struck by lightning a few years ago). I've never flown for longer than 5 hours.

Being cramped on an airplane - I can't sleep at the best of times and can get quite anxious in crowded places. A bed would be amazing but business class is £5000+ per seat!

Snakes, jellyfish, crocodiles and dengue fever etc.
Heat and sun- I can't go out in the sun due to previous skin cancer.

The cost- DH thinks there is no point going for less than 3 weeks. We usually go on holiday for a week in Europe so this would be eye-watering by comparison.

Can anyone talk me down from not really wanting to go?
I'm assuming that flying is the only way to go - we can both take 3 weeks off work if needed.

I know I sound like a right curmudgeon, but it was never on my list of places I would otherwise go or spend our limited savings on. I like Scandinavia....

Any tips for making the journey and the trip less awful?

Just save / borrow (if affordable) to fly something other than economy. Break the flight up with a longer stop over if the traveling bothers you. Wear lots of factor 50 and long thin cotton/lining sleeves etc or visit somewhere seasonal like Melbourne in their winter (our summer) do what you do in our summer but just wear more Suncream I guess if you're going to the extra hot places. I would absolutely do it.

When I last commented on the country of Australia I had a load of posters jump down my throat for saying the weather there is too hot for me and it hosts dangerous animals that I personally find scary, so good luck with this thread OP 😂

It's up to you really. Of course flying to the other side of the world for 3 weeks is going to cost more than a week in Europe.
Would you be okay if you're DH decided to go on his own?
It comes down to how much you want to see your DC in the next couple of years versus how much you'd like to visit Scandinavia.

Surely seeing your child outweighs all those things though?
Most of those issues can easily be addressed.

To avoid being cramped, spend a little more on extra legroom in economy. I wouldn't fly without it on long haul as it means you can get up and down to stretch / use the loo without disturbing anyone and importantly without anyone disturbing you. We've paid an extra £102 each for these seats for 14 hours to Hong Kong, worth every penny.

Can you break the journey by a day or two on the way, depending on the route you're taking?

Put snakes, jellyfish etc out of your head completely. Vanishingly unlikely to see, and even less so to see in a way that's a problem.

Heat you can adjust depending on time of year you go.

Finally, and most importantly, think of your DC and how they'd presumably love to have you visit and show you around, show you how they're getting on out there? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for you all, grab it with both hands.

Break it up with a stop over somewhere - even if it’s just to sleep for a night in a hotel. It will make the journey and the jet lag more bearable.

I'm with you on this OP. My DB moved over in June and it has been floated that we (me, DH and 2DC) visit at Christmas with my parents.
I can't stomach the flight in economy with two children. Christmas is an extortionate time to visit, he lives in a house share so we'd have to get accommodation on top of that. It's all just a lot!

I think we will just have to wait until he decides to come home for a visit to see him again. I'd love to go, but wouldn't be able to justify going alone as a cost - nor would I not want to be without my children at Christmas.

I don’t like flying and I don’t have the desire to visit Australia
BUT if one of my dc were there I would happily go

I can totally understand why you wouldn’t want to do the flight, it’s not for the faint hearted if you can’t afford business. I live in Sydney and find the flight to Europe something you get through rather than something you enjoy but you lost me at “snakes, jellyfish, crocodiles and dengue fever etc.” How dumb can you get.

I used to feel like you, I had a couple of hypnotherapy sessions that worked wonders. The flight was fine, the trip to Australia was magic, and even now if I fly, I find myself yawning on the way to the airport.

I think hypnotherapy doesn't work for some but it's worth a try, I am still amazed at how it worked.

is premium economy an option? that's not so bad (it's the old old version of business class)
And a break in Singapore or HK is good, if not too expensive.

Save up as much holiday as possible, get your sunblock when you're in Australia, and try your best to get there. It is an amazing place to have a holiday.

Where is your DC living that you think you might be at risk of dengue fever?!

I have been to Australia several times, including a spell living there on a working holiday visa. The flight is not fun, but you get through it. You can have a stopover in the Middle East or in Bangkok or Singapore to break up the journey.

I like Scandinavia too, but I love Australia. It's great for a holiday, give it a try.

I can’t sleep on planes either and also can’t afford business class. My strategy if to get flights with enough time for sleep in a proper bed in between flights.

For instance I’m flying from Adelaide to London next week. First leg is Adelaide to Singapore which lands at around 3pm. Then I stay at a hotel in Singapore for a night. The next morning I catch a flight at 9am which lands in London at 3pm. It’s so much less stressful this way..

Also, if you can’t sleep on planes aisle seats are your friend. Can get up whenever you need and don’t feel hemmed in.

Finally, don’t worry about the creatures. Many of us (including me)have never seen a snake in the wild and most spiders aren’t deadly. For the weather come in the cooler months. It’s much more pleasant.

Australia is a big place! What is it you like so much about Scandinavia? Maybe we can suggest something to do.

Also it's not all hot. You could go to Tasmania in winter...

You can get cheaper business class if you hunt around and book way in advance, we got them for £3000 each to aus, still a lot but it makes the experience so so much better. Australia is a lovely place to visit, really worth it.

I've never fancied Australia for lots of the reasons you mention but I think the urge to visit my DC would push me to do it.

My friends who live in Australia stop for a night in Singapore. There's a lovely hotel at the airport with a pool. It makes it less daunting.

Ok, the flight sucks, but it's one day of your life each way. Comfy headphones with plenty of podcas downloaded, a couple of those little bottles of wine and a drowsy antihistamine make them much better.

What part of Australia does your DC live in? The weather isn't always baking sun, particularly in NSW, South Australia and Victoria - Autumn and Spring are particularly nice.

Re. wildlife, honestly don't worry about it. I lived in Australia for 5 years and spent all my free time either in the ocean or in the bush - swimming, surfing, climbing, camping - and saw two snakes and one spider that would cause me any harm in all that time.

I mean, I've never been interested in going to Aus. But if my DC was there for 2 years I definitely would!! They are the only reason you need.

If I lived in Aus for 2 years and my parents could technically afford it and yet didn't come and visit me, I'd take that to heart. And remember it.
If you really can't go, do encourage DH to go since he wants to.

Going to NZ next week, airport stopovers in Singapore and Sydney, and on the way back will have a few days in Sydney and be visiting friends of DH in Melbourne and Brisbane. Premium economy all the way. We are really looking forward it.

Do go OP, it’s a great opportunity.

And staying with family or friends is the best way to really see a place I think. My DB has lived in LA and Japan and I visited him in both places.

Why not stay home if it bothers you that much? Let your DH and DC enjoy themselves without you fretting about being eaten by a crocodile.

You could use the money you would have spent to fly your DC back to visit you for your birthday, or something.

@Reluctantflyer

Like some others here I've spent a fair amount of time in Australia over the years (including a period of working there for several months ) and never once encountered “snakes, jellyfish, crocodiles and dengue fever etc.” ... outside of zoos.

A long long flight when I really don't like flying (had bad experience with plane being struck by lightning a few years ago). I've never flown for longer than 5 hours.

Maybe consider splitting the journey with a 24 hour stopover in Gulf/Bangkok/Singapore/elsewhere, (to some extent the location might be down to destination).

Have to say TBH unless you are into multiple stopovers enroute you are not going to be able to avoid doing at least one sector that is more than ten hours.

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I'm not a fan of Australia and definitely not a fan long-haul flights. Having said that, I'd do it for my child any day. It's not just so that I can see them but I'd like to see how they live, where they go out, meet their friends etc. The flight I'd get through with stop-overs. I'd rather spend two days getting there and spending a night in a hotel inbetween than do it all at once.

Can you meet in the middle somewhere that's cheap? SE Asia (not really 'the middle' flight time wise, but better) is super cheap when you're there, to address the financial issue.

Dangerous animals: it's very, very unlikely you'll see them. You're more likely to be visiting a city than the outback, I presume? Dengue fever isn't all of Oz, take some DEET and you'll be fine.

Out in the sun - wear long sleeves (in light colours), do what you'd otherwise do on sunny days here. And extra, extra good sunblock.

Break the journey up with a stop on the way. Fly Emirates - even their economy has wider comfier seats, I did two 16 hour flights with them recently and was pleasantly surprised.

Get some beta blockers or valium from the GP, or some rescue remedy for the fear of flying longer distance.

If it was that he wanted to go on a random holiday I'd say he'd have to compromise, but it's your kid and if they're only there a couple of years, you'll only have to do it once.