Well, what a terrible year this has been for just about everyone as the Covid-19 virus turned into a pandemic. Could anyone have predicted what affect this would have on so many lives. In our case we have escaped the worst but not without pain.

In March, just a month to the day after we arrived in the UK, my mother passed-away following a short spell in hospital. She had just lost one of her close friends and had been too ill to attend the Life Celebration that was held for her. My father had been in a care home for two weeks while Mum was in hospital and then he had a stroke – so unexpected when he had been so fit and active throughout his life and still cycling long distances into his late seventies. Due to the pandemic his care home was in lockdown and he was unable to attend his own wife’s funeral and even then only ten people were able to attend. It was not what Mum deserved.

Thank You Qantas

And then Qantas cancelled all international flights leaving tens of thousands of people around the world stranded, including us. The next available flight that would get us home was with Singapore Airlines at the beginning of September! We were fortunate to have somewhere to stay in the meantime and didn’t have the financial burdens many where being faced with but it meant country-wide lockdowns and travel restrictions for many months and still not being able to sit with Dad and explain what was going on in the world.

Thank You New South Wales Government

Then just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse we received a phone call from Singapore Airlines just one week before we were due to fly home. Our seats had been cancelled due to inbound passenger number restrictions into Sydney. Sydney was already taking the burden from other states that had stopped taking any international passengers… unless you were a business traveller… or politician.

And then the New South Wales premier gave the go-ahead to allow the India Cricket Team into the country that Queensland had just refused passage. How on earth can a foreign sport team take precedence over getting your own citizens and permanent residents home? Still that’s the same government intent on allowing foreign university students to return taking further places and preventing more Australians from returning home.

More Delays

The next available flight was at the end of November so we were going to be stuck in the UK for at least eight months. Towards the end of November a Singapore number showed up on my phone. It was Singapore Airlines again. Expecting yet another cancellation we were overjoyed when the caller was just checking what passports we would be flying under and confirming our seats were still booked and we would finally be heading back to Sydney.

Quarantine

And so, here we are sitting out our last week of quarantine in Sydney eager to get fresh air and some sense of normality, catch-up with friends and at some point be able to complete the rest of our Big Lap around Australia.

We have been so fortunate to be able to stay in the family home in the UK and spend time preparing it for sale on behalf of my father. We were able to catch-up with friends and family and keep fit notching up 1,800KM walking in the countryside between lockdowns. And before we flew home… we even sold the house!

Just a couple of the many

We know there are approximately 79,000-people still trying to get home, many who have experienced multiple flight cancellations and serious financial hardship. Our thoughts are with them and hope our experience gives them some confidence that they will eventually get back to Australia.