Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Exactly! It’s like Groundhog Day, every bloody day…

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Partly agree. Yes, I also think airfares are going to rise in the short term but I also think that there will be plenty of capacity. All airlines, especially the big hitters, will be keen as hell to get back operating and will ramp up massively - and governments will accommodate this in order to get economies back up and running - and generating taxes. Many airlines have still been taking deliveries of new aircraft - A380s to Emirates for instance - and they are going to want to get them making money. Airports will be bending over backwards to accommodate. I personally think 2023 and onwards for a few years are going to be like the roaring 20's all over again

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

It's true after this year and a half coming on two years of disappointments things will roar into life again, but a bit like our housing market where after the lockdowns and social distancing measures we had a backlog of buyers suddenly deciding together that they're desperate to buy, outstripping supply and pumping up prices we'll get the same thing with international travel - at least for a bit. There might be some bargains to be had in the early days while capacity fills up. One to watch, I suppose. I think in the short to middle term I'll stay away from Europe, the US, etc and will only be temped to visit Asian countries - prices permitting.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Domestic flight prices have been really good since they started again. Remember the business market will never ever be into travel like it was so they will be throwing bargains at the holiday makers.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Culture for me (not literally) means different, old and variety of choice and we have that in spades in the UK (and Europe) for me I travelled from one end of aus to another and the only real difference for me was the weather is northern Queensland the florna and forna reminded me of Malaysia etc. ps I do not take much if any interest in the arts I do not mind the odd west end show though when touring nearby

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

But really, how much "difference" is there from one end of the UK to the other, especially when for 9 months of the year when the weather is shit. Sure you might have the coast of Cornwall and the mountains of Scotland which are vastly different from each other but Australia, US, France, etc all offer that. There might be a few more older historical castles and villages if you are into history, but for me history gets old pretty quickly - mind the pun. And that history doesn't really change too much. Each to their own but terrific visual natural scenery excites me more than a few old things.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Wasn't that the point made by brits1. You would have to drive 3,900 km from Perth to Sydney and there wouldn't be a huge difference. In the same time you could drive from Manchester to Athens.
That the weather is shit for 9 months of the year is another myth and that's assuming all people have the same view and live in one place. People change, so does the weather and when you look at the next generation, very few might consider skin cancer, droughts, flooding, extreme heat and severe storms to be better weather. If you are living in Europe, Australia has no relevance (vice versa) and the places are just too far apart to compare.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

That's the thing. Other than a beach in Cornwall or a mountain in Scotland the natural scenery can be very much that same in the UK with a few exceptions. North Queensland, to the Gold Coast Hinterland to the beaches, harbours, vineyards, the Snowy Moutains, the Riverina, to the Great Ocean Road then on to the variety of Tasmania the natural beauty has much more variation in Australia. Sure there are extremes of weather too but the same constant bleak overcast skies are not a thing Australia gets to experience for 9 months of the year.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Of course and it's always personal opinions. But If we're honest, the majority of people are all stuck in the same place anyway and hardly go much further than their local shop (UK or Australia).
People have to understand that a country in Europe is just an area and there's nothing stopping you driving to a different country, so again it's all relative. When we drive down to our place in Spain I can also see vineyards, snowy mountains and go from one ocean to another. The only difference is that someone living in Hobart or Melbourne will drive to the Gold Coast and I drive to the Costa Brava. Life is life.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

All good points. But then there's those dreary overcast skiies and chilly moist air for 9 months and there is no where in the UK that escapes that unfortunately. And for most in the UK they don't really get to experience must else, a bit like the local shop so that becomes the norm. If you are really into culture then the local shop isn't really going to give much there either. Life is life.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

All good points. But then there's those not so overcast skies and sticky hot air for 9 months and there is nowhere in Oz that escapes that unfortunately.
And for most in Oz they don't really get to experience much else, a bit like the local shop so that becomes the norm. If you are really not into culture then the local shop isn't really going to give much there either. Life is life.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Half of Australia doesn’t have ‘sticky hot air’. It gets hot and dry here but it isn’t humid like say the NT or Queensland.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Where I live it's sticky hot air for about 2 months, and even then it's only part of the afternoon. Joys of a large country....... weather variation

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

Massive variation in everything. Australia isn’t a country, it’s a franchise where every state/territory is doing their own thing.

Re: Finally come back after 14 years
 

:thumbup: hasn't that become apparent. I notice Qld resorts are very cheap for the upcoming NSW school holidays ....... tempted but will keep it this side of the border. Too risky.