Travel to Australia

[changeoflife]

I know no-one has a crystal ball so can't answer this for definite but.... what do you think the chances are of being able to travel to Australia from UK at the end of July? I have a "trip of a lifetime" booked and couldn't have imagined for one second this curve ball!

The airline (Singapore Airlines) have only released announcements cancelling flights up until 30th June. The travel agent are not being very forthcoming either so I'm interested in gauging opinions as to whether people think Australia might open their borders to non-resident international visitors by then??

I've been monitoring this also, but in our case, don't need visitor visas You might find you need to quarantine for 2 weeks after arrival. Aus implemented this months back, and is still the case as far as I know. The vast majority of cases there came from international travellers (most on the ruby princess cruise ship!) so I'd think it will remain restricted for some time. You still cant travel between some states/territories, despite their death rate being so much lower than the UK. No crystal ball I'm afraid, but could you quarantine for 2 weeks on arrival IF needed?

Airlines might run but I very much doubt Australia will let people from the UK in right now, and if they did you would have to not mind quarantining for 2 weeks.

My personal opinion? You dont have chance of going on your holiday. The state borders are closed in Australia currently. They need to open those before international travel starts, and they are talking about state borders opening in July at the earliest. I'd be surprised if you go this year.
Sorry.

Sorry but I doubt it. Even our interstate borders are still closed (those that closed in the first place) and 2 week quarantine required for returning residents. July is not that far away. Where were you planning on going and for how long?

The australian PM has said their borders are likely to be closed until the end of the year so the chances are very slim

I doubt very much that ScoMo will be opening the borders any time soon. We're just heading into winter here and still can't travel between states.

Thank you. It is absolutely gutting but at least if we CAN'T travel I'm more likely to be able to rearrange or get the flight money back. We were going for 6 weeks and traveling around... Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Like I said it was a trip of a lifetime.

You have to consider your travel insurance as well. Even if county borders are open (and I doubt they will be), you likely won’t be able to get insurance anyway.

Zero chance I'm afraid. I live in Australia and unless you are an Aus citizen or hold Permanent Residence you can't come in. The 14 day quarantine is for those who are allowed to land. We have been told not to expect international travelers until 2021 except for a possible "bubble" with NZ and some pacific islands. Even if that changes it certainly won't be in July - we had an overseas trip planned end of July and have had our flights refunded. Tbh nobody here wants people from the UK (or Europe or America) arriving in the next few months. Losing dream trips sucks but unfortunately that is the current reality.

Nope, sorry
We can barely decide when to open borders between states, even those with no active cases like SA, who seem set on staying closed for a while yet.
No way would anyone be getting in from UK, us or Europe just cos holiday.
New Zealand looks like it will be first we can go to from aus, but even then that's later in year if it happens

Even IF you could fly there, can you get a hotel, travel around, hire a car, get a bus/internal flight and will touristy things be open. Also, your trip includes crossing into 4, different states and who knows whether you might be asked to quarantine for 2 weeks when crossing each one- even IF you could cross the borders.

No chance.

@changeoflife we have now had this summer's trip of a lifetime cancelled. Don’t suppose we’ll be able to afford to rebook if prices rocket after all this. No idea about Australia, but it’s a bit gutting isn’t it

Nope. Air side customs have been told no incoming until January...SiL is customs at Sydney and that's what she's told us.

Adding my agreement to the other posters. No chance.

We’re only letting citizens and permanent residents in and they have to quarantine for 14 days from arrival.

You can’t travel between states so if by some miracle you made it here you’d spend 14 days wherever you landed unable to leave the hotel then likely have to go home - again if you could get a flight.

Restrictions are reducing slowly but most things will still be closed (and it will be the middle of winter so everyone is extra hesitant)

We’ll be lucky if we’re allowed to go to NZ this year.

At the moment you need authorisation from the government to leave the country (if you’re a citizen) after a bit of a patchy start we hit things hard on early March at that’s one of the reasons we’ve had just over 100 deaths total.

This is basically the only thing the PM and current government can brag about (and to be honest most of it was led by the state governments) and they will hold onto it relentlessly.

Sorry

I have a flight NZ to UK in October with Qatar which has been cancelled.

I think you will be really lucky if your flights go ahead.

Thank you for all your replies. Yes I'm gutted but it is what it is. We can't change and to be honest I don't blame other countries not wanting UK travellers to enter their country at the moment. I guess I just have to sit tight and wait for the flights to be cancelled so that I can try to recoup some of the flight money!

@changeoflife I'm sorry that your plans have been so messed up

It’s shit, isn’t it? We have tickets to see my family at Christmas. It seems so unlikely and my kids will be heartbroken.

@ispepsiokay it really really is. It's hard though to be able to express that because so many people are enduring so much worse so you don't want to go on saying "poor us, we've lost our holiday" when you know it's nothing really in the grand scheme of things.

Still feels shit though.

Sorry that was to @JassyRadlett... but thank you @ispepsiokay !!

Agree with all the others. Its gutting- I'm English but live in Sydney- I can't leave as I only have a temporary visa; I had friends who had arranged t visit and had to cancel; My family want to visit at Xmas and I'm not sure how likely that is.
July's not great weather though for Australia...

@changeoflife - maybe things will improve before Christmas - it is very disappointing.

I should have been in the UK celebrating my Mum's 90th Birthday now - it was awful to have our plans cancelled and not to be able to get back to the UK.

@CrumpetyTea no I agree July weather wouldn't be my choice but I work in a school so my only window to travel for 6 weeks is in the UK summer holidays unfortunately.