Travel to Australia anytime soon?

[Scuba]

I know this year has been a nightmare for flight cancellations and staffing issues, but most of the news stories I’ve read have involved the US or Europe. DH and I are thinking of planning an Australia trip in the next several months. Does anyone have firsthand knowledge of the flight problems, or lack thereof, on LA to Sydney routes or domestically within Australia?

Also, from a COVID standpoint, is Australia pretty relaxed now or are there still a lot of restrictions? I’d hate to get over there and be locked down for weeks at a time.

 

[luckydude]

I know this year has been a nightmare for flight cancellations and staffing issues, but most of the news stories I’ve read have involved the US or Europe. DH and I are thinking of planning an Australia trip in the next several months. Does anyone have firsthand knowledge of the flight problems, or lack thereof, on LA to Sydney routes or domestically within Australia?

Also, from a COVID standpoint, is Australia pretty relaxed now or are there still a lot of restrictions? I’d hate to get over there and be locked down for weeks at a time.

I am taking the family to OZ at the end of the year for 3 weeks and will visit NSW and Victoria. We will travel on AA code share with Qantas.

Each state in OZ has its own set of Covid rules/guidelines. Use the following link and select a state from the dropdown list on the left to see the latest Covid restrictions in effect:

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/covid19-restriction-checker/domestic-travel/nsw

Most of the states are pretty relaxed in terms of Covid rules at this point. The one exception is South OZ; it still requires international visitors to take a RAT test and isolate until results come back. Otherwise, masking and social distancing are no longer in effect save in public transits and hospital settings.

As far as flight delays and cancellations, there doesn't appear to be any issues at this point, but then this is low season for international travel to OZ (late winter/early spring at the moment). I think we'll get a better feel for how flights are operating in Nov/Dec timeframe, when international visitors are expected to return in droves.

 

[Scuba]

I am taking the family to OZ at the end of the year for 3 weeks and will visit NSW and Victoria. We will travel on AA code share with Qantas.

Each state in OZ has its own set of Covid rules/guidelines. Use the following link and select a state from the dropdown list on the left to see the latest Covid restrictions in effect:

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/covid19-restriction-checker/domestic-travel/nsw

Most of the states are pretty relaxed in terms of Covid rules at this point. The one exception is South OZ; it still requires international visitors to take a RAT test and isolate until results come back. Otherwise, masking and social distancing are no longer in effect save in public transits and hospital settings.

As far as flight delays and cancellations, there doesn't appear to be any issues at this point, but then this is low season for international travel to OZ (late winter/early spring at the moment). I think we'll get a better feel for how flights are operating in Nov/Dec timeframe, when international visitors are expected to return in droves.

Thanks, hope your trip goes well!

 

[luckydude]

Thanks, hope your trip goes well!

Thanks Scuba! Bon voyage to you as well!

 

[38Chevy454]

Not necessarily travel related, but now is a great time financially as far as the $AU vs the $US. Currently $AU is at about $.67 of the $US, which is lower than it has been for a while. $US is quite strong now, so your costs of the trip expenses will be less.

 

[Sunset]

I am tempted by a cruise to Australia, docking in October next year. Is October a good/bad time to visit ?
It would dock in Brisbane, but we would want to travel South to Sydney.
Some of my temptation is to avoid the long flight

 

[euro]

Some of my temptation is to avoid the long flight

Where would the cruise originate? If in US or even South America, that cruise would be quite long too? If it starts in SE Asia, then the flight to there is still quite long. Or is it some sort of extended island hopping cruise of those places in the South Pacific between Chile and OZ? I'm starting to like it.....

 

[Scuba]

I am tempted by a cruise to Australia, docking in October next year. Is October a good/bad time to visit ?
It would dock in Brisbane, but we would want to travel South to Sydney.
Some of my temptation is to avoid the long flight

Their October is like our April. I would think it would be pretty nice that time of year, although not as warm as summertime.

 

[luckydude]

I am tempted by a cruise to Australia, docking in October next year. Is October a good/bad time to visit ?
It would dock in Brisbane, but we would want to travel South to Sydney.
Some of my temptation is to avoid the long flight

Oct is a great time to visit Brisbane (in Queensland). Temps in the 70s generally with little rain and less crowd.

Don't go in high summer (Jan, Feb). It can be hot and humid with lots of rain.

 

[luckydude]

Not necessarily travel related, but now is a great time financially as far as the $AU vs the $US. Currently $AU is at about $.67 of the $US, which is lower than it has been for a while. $US is quite strong now, so your costs of the trip expenses will be less.

+1

Right now, it's a great time for Americans to travel overseas in general, Covid notwithstanding. USD is the strongest it's ever been against many currencies, and Asian tourists are still largely absent. The strong dollar + relative lack of crowd at tourist attractions make this probably the best time for Americans to travel in the last 20 years.

 

[brett]

We have spent a number of winters in Thailand/SE Asia.

We have made side trips to Austria twice in the Feb timeframe. Always fly into Gold Coast Airport from either Krabi or KL.

Weather has always been great at that time of year for us. Stayed with friends in the area both times. Then south to Sydney, over to Melbourne and up the Great Ocean Highway. Last time we flew over to Tasmania for a week. Jetstar Australia has some amazing prices on domestic flights.

Our practice has been to fly home via HNL on Jeststar Australia. They have very good one way fares. It was a Qantas code share on one flight since I believe they are owned by Qantas. We spend a day or two in HNL, then fly home.

We booked a last minute 21 day Oz/NZ cruise while in Australia. Thanks to a heads up on this board we booked it directly with RCI in Sydney vs our US on line TA @30 percent less, adjusted for currency.

 

[SecondAttempt]

+1

Right now, it's a great time for Americans to travel overseas in general, Covid notwithstanding. USD is the strongest it's ever been against many currencies, and Asian tourists are still largely absent. The strong dollar + relative lack of crowd at tourist attractions make this probably the best time for Americans to travel in the last 20 years.

I agree. I haven't traveled to Australia recently but I did go to Tahiti a couple of months ago. We had no flight issues but we just had a direct flight from Honolulu so it would have been hard to mess up.

One comment though is to take the covid rules with a grain of salt. We looked on the official web site for French Polynesia and, even though they had dropped any testing requirements, they still said you had to show your covid card at passport control and there were a few other rules including masks in certain areas. When we arrived absolutely no one was wearing a mask and customs just laughed when we asked if we needed the covid card.

None of this bothered us but the rules certainly were not as advertised. I suspect Australia will be a little better about being accurate with what the rules are but I would be prepared for anything. One outbreak during your trip could change the rules to something stricter and you may then need to be masked a lot, be tested, and worst case, quarantined.

I have been to Australia numerous times and would not hesitate to go right now. But I would be prepared, carry rapid tests and masks, and be ready to be flexible.

ETA: I would try to find someone who lives in NSW or Victoria to be in contact with while planning trip to get a boots on the ground reality check. Maybe an Aussie on this forum will step up.

 

[Scuba]

We have spent a number of winters in Thailand/SE Asia.



We have made side trips to Austria twice in the Feb timeframe. Always fly into Gold Coast Airport from either Krabi or KL.



Weather has always been great at that time of year for us. Stayed with friends in the area both times. Then south to Sydney, over to Melbourne and up the Great Ocean Highway. Last time we flew over to Tasmania for a week. Jetstar Australia has some amazing prices on domestic flights.



Our practice has been to fly home via HNL on Jeststar Australia. They have very good one way fares. It was a Qantas code share on one flight since I believe they are owned by Qantas. We spend a day or two in HNL, then fly home.



We booked a last minute 21 day Oz/NZ cruise while in Australia. Thanks to a heads up on this board we booked it directly with RCI in Sydney vs our US on line TA @30 percent less, adjusted for currency.

When you’re traveling in Australia during their summer, are you able to get accommodations in desirable locations without prebooking?