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?

The flight time would do me in, snakes and jelly fish etc not so much. Do you have the time to break the journey down? Five hours to eg Istanbul (probably shorter) a day there. 5 hours on to eg Dubai or somewhere. A stop in eg Singapore and then on to Australia? That’s the way only I could do it, but it adds time, and costs til you get there. And then much the same back. Maybe upgrading would cost much the same. I know someone who used to live in Aus and recently had to go back for one reason or another. It was 30 hours, one way and another, door to door, part of it hanging around Heathrow to connect to Scotland. I just couldn’t do it.

Try skyscanner or kayak, we booked a year in advance as soon as flights are released and we are doing 3 sector so stopping in Germany, then Singapore. I don't mind the changes but I know some people do. Think we are going with a combo of lufthanz

Try skyscanner or kayak, we booked a year in advance as soon as flights are released and we are doing 3 sector so stopping in Germany, then Singapore. I don't mind the changes but I know some people do. Think we are going with a combo of lufthansa and Singapore Airlines possibly? It can be a faff looking at all the options/different departure airports etc but there are bargains to be had occasionally! Premium economy is also supposed to be nice but I just love being able to lie flat, its the only way I can sleep on a long flight. Honestly business class was one of the best things I've ever done, it felt so luxurious. Although it kind of ruins normal flying in the future!

This.
Yes the flight is long and tedious in economy but it's more then worth it once you get there, Australia is stunning

Could you meet DC in New Zealand instead? The flight is just as long if not longer, but if you like Scandinavia, then I imagine you'd enjoy a holiday there a lot more.

Come on! People would kill for this opportunity. This trip will not be anywhere near as bad as you think. As already suggested stop off somewhere to break it up a bit. If you do economy book exit row seats, then you can move around whenever you like. Start this holiday as soon as you board the plane, think of all that food & drink they keep bringing around. Watch a film or 3, listen to music, read, or just people watch. Embrace it!

I lived there for a year and never saw a spider, croc etc. Nada.

Yes the weather is hot - go in the winter?

Have a look at sky couches - air New Zealand definitely offer them. Essentially you get 3 economy seats but they turn into a flat bed (foot rests full the gap between the seats and the row in front) so you can lie down to sleep. More expensive then just getting a normal seat but significantly cheaper than business class.

www.goodlifexplorers.com/what-is-a-skycouch/

Hahaha this made me laugh.

I worked in Oz for 7 years as a nurse and had ONE patient that had been bitten by a snake and he was a crazy guy that was keeping a taipan as a pet.

One of my siblings has just moved to Australia. I have also never wanted to visit so we plan to meet somewhere like Thailand. Is this an option for your family? Your DC might like travelling somewhere new too.

Id say go for it. Break up the flight if you can with a stopover. Go when it is colder weather ie in our Summer - it does get cold in QLD. Dont worry about wildlife, particularly in urban areas - I lived in Oz for 15 months and the worst I saw was cockroaches. And yes make it worthwhile by going for three weeks if you are able to get the time off.

I agree with the others who have suggested a long(ish) stop over. It’ll help you acclimatise to the jet lag too.

Go in Australian winter - won’t be so hot and bright. But then… Queensland is always pretty hot! Are they in the tropical part of Queensland?

But then… Queensland is always pretty hot! Are they in the tropical part of Queensland?

Not all of it. Last time I went it lashed down with rain and it wasn't warm rain. July and August can be cool. I tend to visit Qld in September when temperatures are in the mid 20s. It's tropical Qld that has two climates - hot and dry or hot and wet.

also on the issue of your previous skin cancer - I believe Australia has far stricter legislation for any sun cream manufactured there. As a result their sunscreens are, on the whole superior to those manufactured in the UK/EU. You'd be better buying the best one you can find once you get there and covering up with loose clothing and a hat if you are still concerned. You can buy UV safe rash vests etc so you can still enjoy the beach.

I didn’t love Australia to be honest, but lots of people I know have loved New Zealand. Could you plan a bigger, dream trip and break up the flight with a stop somewhere interesting on the way?

Premium economy might be more doable, I found flights for £1050 one way pe each then £465 the other way with a stop over in Singapore

I am married to an Australian so have done the trip many times. A stopover is great, but reduces the time spent with his family. As an alternative we find transit hotels make the flight bearable. We book Singapore airlines (who are very good) with a 8-12 hour gap between the flights at Changi. The transit hotels are airside so no need to clear customs, collect your luggage etc. One of them even has a pool!

Being able to have a good block of horizontal sleep, a shower and only a short walk to the next plane journey makes all the difference.

I am also not a big fan of hot weather, so we never go in their summer unless it is for Christmas. I think you know you are being a bit silly with your other concerns 😀.

If you really can’t face the trip how about offering to pay for a ticket for your child to return home for a trip to visit you instead?

@midsomermurderess

The flight time would do me in, snakes and jelly fish etc not so much. Do you have the time to break the journey down? Five hours to eg Istanbul (probably shorter) a day there. 5 hours on to eg Dubai or somewhere. A stop in eg Singapore and then on to Australia?

Problem is the number of hops you can end up with doing it that way, especially to the Aus east coast....

For example if the aim is to keep sectors under 5 hours then you need to build in another stopover in your plan in Aus - Darwin?...Reason being SIN-SYD non stop is about 7hrs 30, maybe a bit more, SIN-BNE isn't be massively different (for context SIN-SYD in terms of distance and flight time is roughly the same as flying Chicago to London).

If the OP doesn't want to use up the holiday just traveling they are going to have to put up with at least one or two proper Long Haul sectors.

Find an old fashioned travel agent and state your requirements. They will sort this out for you, especially if you want to have a stopover night.

abbottstravel.com in South Woodford, E18, London would be perfect.

I think YABVU and would be very hurt if you were my mother

Where is your DC? I am from Aus - I have never encountered a crocodile, EVER. In 30 years of living there, I saw 2 snakes. Never once saw a Jellyfish unless washed up on the odd Beach (don't go in the ocean if you're scared). If you are going to capital cities, you will be absolutely fine. The East Coast you will not encounter such things unless from about Central Queensland and North of there. Please do not let that deter you.

I get the flight is an unbearable thought to some. It's just something you have to suck up unfortunately. Walk around the flight, take something to keep you calm and hopefully knock you out to catch some ZZZ's and while away the time. I strongly recommend an antihistamine called Phernergan which is a drousy one. I always take that, knock back 2 glasses of wine, I sleep most of the journey.

I really wouldn’t recommend wine and phenergan together! I did this without knowing they shouldn’t be mixed and got very sick.

Fly Premium Economy and stop over somewhere for a couple of days.
Just switch off, watch a film or two, sleep, pretend you're in a bubble.

Snakes, jellyfish, crocodiles and dengue fever etc
They're all waiting just for you!!

Snakes - I've seen them in the bush or Outback but only heard of one person who has been bitten by one in 20 years of visiting.
Jellyfish - why would you go in the sea during jellyfish season?
Dengue fever - not usual
Heat and sun- I can't go out in the sun due to previous skin cancer.
Slip, slip, slap, ie cover up, wear a hat, use sunscreen. And insect repellent.