Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > Australia > The Barbie
Reload this Page >

Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Old Mar 27th 2020, 8:16 am
  #166  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
carcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by louie
I don't often stray into the Barbie but I saw this thread title and was interested how other people were doing and thought I might let you know how we are getting on. Then I remembered why I don't come here often. First dozen or so threads were indeed about how people were coping then the thread became the usual quasi-political tooing and froing. Couldn't someone have started another thread for general discussion of the virus and how to deal with it and left this one on topic for once?







It's interesting to see the changing attitudes to long term nomads like us. Until very recently we were a welcome lifeline to struggling rural communities, buying stuff and thus spending money in their shops (unlike the locals who head off to the big smoke to stock up in Coles every few months, we don't have the space to store things in any quantity) and keeping pubs open with our patronage etc. Now we are pariahs, the local stores won't sell to outsiders and we can just go away. But where are we supposed to go? There are thousands like us, either permanently on the road or maybe on long service leave or whatever, who have no permanent home to go to, either because they don't own a home or have let it out whilst they have their big adventure. We can't click our fingers and disappear.
I am sorry you have been inconvenienced, but the shires in WA have been very clear, in writing, both about why they do not want tourists, caravaners, gray nomads and backpackers right now, and they have also been clear about where these travellers can go instead.

Places like Walpole, Margaret River and Busselton are fully aware that they are dependent on tourism and they fully understand what shutting it down does to their local economy. They are proceeding because:

1. Regional towns have limited health care and hospital facilities, and cannot handle an influx of ill holidaymakers, or holidaymakers who then get ill while in town. For example, Busselton and Margaret River, combined, only have around 100 hospital beds - not all of which are currently free;
2. Local shops are experiencing widespread shortages of everyday items due to the national condition - they cannot support their markets with enough supply of everyday items right now, let alone when the tourist wave comes in;
3. There are widespread health concerns about transmission around shared and communal facilities, commonly frequented by campers, caravaners, backpackers etc;
4. Looming lockdowns - which, though announced today, have been in the pipeline for days and this has been widely understood in the regions - mean that holidaymakers could easily get "stuck" in a town or area for a period of months, perhaps with limited means to support themselves;
5. The national and state governments have been very clear that holiday travel should end and people should go home. Exceptions were not made for gray nomads or any other group of non-essential person. Mark McGowan himself said today "If you were planning a trip - you cannot go. If you are currently away from home - you need to come back. Now." The Shires have also been clear what those in situations such as louie should do - immediately go to their respective state capitals, which have the resources, facilities, and budget accommodation to be able to support them, that the regions do not.

I am not understanding why there is any confusion about any of this. It is clear.



carcajou is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 9:16 am
  #167  
Crazy Cat Lady
 
moneypenny20's Avatar
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
moneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by cresta57
All news reports were saying the border is closed with just three roads remaining open: The M1, Gold coast Hwy & Griffith St. No mention of the main highways further West New England at Jennings & the Newell at Goondawindi more than half of the interstate freight comes in on those two roads I'm guessing because they're not on the Gold Coast they don't exist for the purpose of reporting.
It is odd, I was wondering about them the other day. Only mention I can find is an article where it just says local police are monitoring. I guess as they're attempting to stop tourists going up and down, but allowing freight, those roads don't need the publicity as there would be relatively few tourists using them.
moneypenny20 is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 9:28 am
  #168  
Home and Happy
 
Pollyana's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Pollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by cresta57
All news reports were saying the border is closed with just three roads remaining open: The M1, Gold coast Hwy & Griffith St. No mention of the main highways further West New England at Jennings & the Newell at Goondawindi more than half of the interstate freight comes in on those two roads I'm guessing because they're not on the Gold Coast they don't exist for the purpose of reporting.
Sadly thats very true, we often have to fight to make media aware of the world outside SEQ.
Police are monitoring out west,and SES are also active to make people aware of the rules.

Last edited by Pollyana; Mar 27th 2020 at 9:30 am.
Pollyana is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 10:33 am
  #169  
Still alive
 
Dorothy's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,994
Dorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond reputeDorothy has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by carcajou
Premier Mark McGowan announces Western Australia will be locked down by region, starting Tuesday. $50,000 fines will be in place for non-essential travelers leaving their region without permission.
This will be the first time in 32 years my husband won't see his children for Easter. I'm rostered to work now anyway, but being told he can't go is a bit sad for us. We do understand though.

Overall I would say Mr McGowan and team are doing a good job. It's not an enviable job at the best of times.
Dorothy is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 10:37 am
  #170  
Account Closed
 
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 0
scrubbedexpat098 is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by carcajou
Well, correction: BHP has banned its mining workers from entering the towns of Newman, in the Shire of East Pilbara, and the town of Port Hedland over infection fears. I imagine all of the companies there are not far off from such restrictions and so therefore user stevenglish1 may be impacted.

The Shire of Augusta-Margaret River in the state's South West has asked anyone who does not have permanent accommodation - "those who sleep in vehicles" such as caravans etc - to either secure permanent built accommodation in the shire for the next 3-4 months, or to leave and "go to Perth immediately where more health resources, crisis and budget accommodation is available." The Shire says it is concerned that its limited health facilities will not be able to cope with an influx of ill holidaymakers, or holidaymakers who turn ill while there, and that there are virus transmission concerns over caravaner and backpacker use of public facilities for laundry, showers, toilets etc. The Shire is likely to close these facilities shortly.

The City of Busselton is also looking at taking similar action.

There continue to be widespread rumours that the South West is going to follow the Kimberley, and be locked down. If I understand correctly, both the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River and the City of Busselton are requesting that the government implement a lockdown happen in short order.
yes you're spot on, BHP have told us that if we're caught in Newman our jobs are automatically gone. The local indigenous population is considered high risk. We're having to beg for fuel from the mine. It's very eerie up here I have to say, everyone's in good spirits and we're still working but with strict conditions. Looks like I'll be staying on to help with maintenance until the wife and I have had enough of me being away, it is what it is and I could be in a far worse position so I'm counting my lucky stars at the moment.
scrubbedexpat098 is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 10:55 am
  #171  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 87
Dmorgan07 is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by Dorothy
This will be the first time in 32 years my husband won't see his children for Easter. I'm rostered to work now anyway, but being told he can't go is a bit sad for us. We do understand though.

Overall I would say Mr McGowan and team are doing a good job. It's not an enviable job at the best of times.
That's sad to hear. Wishing you an even sweeter reunion when things work out
Dmorgan07 is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 11:01 am
  #172  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
carcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by Dorothy
This will be the first time in 32 years my husband won't see his children for Easter. I'm rostered to work now anyway, but being told he can't go is a bit sad for us. We do understand though.

Overall I would say Mr McGowan and team are doing a good job. It's not an enviable job at the best of times.
A difficult situation, playing itself over and over across families. Many of my colleagues have elderly parents in retirement villages in Perth and Peel, and are trying to decide whether to keep them there, or pick them up and bring them to the regions. Nobody is sure how long this will last but it could be a while.

But I do believe it is going to help mitigate a disaster. Perth people go to the regions at the holidays but at the same time regional people go to Perth. There is always the question of enforcement, but locals in the regions have their backs up right now and will dob. Nobody from out-of-town wanders into a regional town in WA without every local in a 20 km radius noticing it.
carcajou is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 11:02 am
  #173  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
carcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Came home tonight to find the pay channels on my Foxtel package, had been unlocked. Checked the Foxtel homepage and there's a message saying they are doing their part to encourage people to stay home, by unlocking extra channels for the next two months at no extra charge.
carcajou is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 11:06 am
  #174  
Crazy Cat Lady
 
moneypenny20's Avatar
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
moneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by carcajou
Came home tonight to find the pay channels on my Foxtel package, had been unlocked. Checked the Foxtel homepage and there's a message saying they are doing their part to encourage people to stay home, by unlocking extra channels for the next two months at no extra charge.
London theatres are doing free showings on a site I've managed to forget the name of.
moneypenny20 is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 11:10 pm
  #175  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Nowhere - I'm a travelling (wo)man!
Posts: 2,362
louie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond reputelouie has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by carcajou
I am sorry you have been inconvenienced, but the shires in WA have been very clear, in writing, both about why they do not want tourists, caravaners, gray nomads and backpackers right now, and they have also been clear about where these travellers can go instead.

Places like Walpole, Margaret River and Busselton are fully aware that they are dependent on tourism and they fully understand what shutting it down does to their local economy. They are proceeding because:

1. Regional towns have limited health care and hospital facilities, and cannot handle an influx of ill holidaymakers, or holidaymakers who then get ill while in town. For example, Busselton and Margaret River, combined, only have around 100 hospital beds - not all of which are currently free;
2. Local shops are experiencing widespread shortages of everyday items due to the national condition - they cannot support their markets with enough supply of everyday items right now, let alone when the tourist wave comes in;
3. There are widespread health concerns about transmission around shared and communal facilities, commonly frequented by campers, caravaners, backpackers etc;
4. Looming lockdowns - which, though announced today, have been in the pipeline for days and this has been widely understood in the regions - mean that holidaymakers could easily get "stuck" in a town or area for a period of months, perhaps with limited means to support themselves;
5. The national and state governments have been very clear that holiday travel should end and people should go home. Exceptions were not made for gray nomads or any other group of non-essential person. Mark McGowan himself said today "If you were planning a trip - you cannot go. If you are currently away from home - you need to come back. Now." The Shires have also been clear what those in situations such as louie should do - immediately go to their respective state capitals, which have the resources, facilities, and budget accommodation to be able to support them, that the regions do not.

I am not understanding why there is any confusion about any of this. It is clear.
I didn't say it wasn't clear and nor did I say I had been inconvenienced, well any more than anyone else. In fact, I object to your snide implication that I am in any way complaining.

My point - as I made perfectly clear - is that for many, many people, albeit spread thinly around this huge country, there is no home to go back to. Again, as I made perfectly clear, I was not talking about people currently at home planning a trip or people currently on holiday who can feasibly head home, other than in the latter case in the context of trying to explain why there might be caravans on the road. Your talk of influxes of holidaymakers and waves of tourists is just being melodramatic, these are people who are already there.

I remain to be convinced that it makes sense for someone currently in say Broome to be required to drive back to Sydney, giving them the opportunity to spread disease over thousands and thousands of miles, just because they once lived there. The advice for everyone else is to stay put to limit the transmission of infection; is there something magical about caravanners that mean they are different?

Originally Posted by carcajou
A difficult situation, playing itself over and over across families. Many of my colleagues have elderly parents in retirement villages in Perth and Peel, and are trying to decide whether to keep them there, or pick them up and bring them to the regions. Nobody is sure how long this will last but it could be a while.
Right. So it is not OK for Perth people to venture out of Perth, but it is fine for regional people to come into Perth, pick up a nasty virus and take it home with them. And it is perfectly fine for elderly people to be taken out of Perth to "regional towns (which) have limited health care and hospital facilities and cannot handle an influx of ill holidaymakers" elderly relatives.
louie is offline  
Old Mar 27th 2020, 11:46 pm
  #176  
`
 
BEVS's Avatar
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 38,595
BEVS has disabled reputation
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by moneypenny20
London theatres are doing free showings on a site I've managed to forget the name of.
Please search the memory cells
BEVS is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2020, 2:17 am
  #177  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
carcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond reputecarcajou has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by louie
I didn't say it wasn't clear and nor did I say I had been inconvenienced, well any more than anyone else. In fact, I object to your snide implication that I am in any way complaining.

My point - as I made perfectly clear - is that for many, many people, albeit spread thinly around this huge country, there is no home to go back to. Again, as I made perfectly clear, I was not talking about people currently at home planning a trip or people currently on holiday who can feasibly head home, other than in the latter case in the context of trying to explain why there might be caravans on the road. Your talk of influxes of holidaymakers and waves of tourists is just being melodramatic, these are people who are already there.

I remain to be convinced that it makes sense for someone currently in say Broome to be required to drive back to Sydney, giving them the opportunity to spread disease over thousands and thousands of miles, just because they once lived there. The advice for everyone else is to stay put to limit the transmission of infection; is there something magical about caravanners that mean they are different?



Right. So it is not OK for Perth people to venture out of Perth, but it is fine for regional people to come into Perth, pick up a nasty virus and take it home with them. And it is perfectly fine for elderly people to be taken out of Perth to "regional towns (which) have limited health care and hospital facilities and cannot handle an influx of ill holidaymakers" elderly relatives.
Louie, you need to listen to the advice and directives of the government and health authorities and STAY HOME.

The advice has been very clear to caravaners - go to the state capital and hunker down. Regional towns cannot support them, and it is not safe for caravaners and gray nomads to be rolling from town to town right now. The authorities have stated why that is the case.

These reports in regional WA of caravaners continuing to roll around are certainly not melodramatic, not to those of us on the ground, who know what is happening here. The reason the authorities keep having to up and tighten the measures, and resort to regional border closures, is because they are being ignored. Perth is the safest place for gray nomads in WA to be right now, for the reasons the authorities have already stated - which is why the advice is to LEAVE the regions and GO to the state capital.

The reason lockdown doesn't get implemented immediately is not just so regional people can fetch elderly parents in retirement homes, it's also so people living and working in the regions with family in Perth can wind up affairs and get back to them. As I stated in my previous post, when Perth people holiday in the regions, people in the regions are going to Perth. It works both ways.

For someone in Broome - I am glad you brought that up, because Broome, which is also dependent on tourism, was actually the first one to ask for a regional lockdown. For caravaners in Broome that meant go to Perth, not Sydney, but too late now since the Kimberley's borders were closed last week.

Broome has a population of 14,000 people, which triples during the winter season - many, even a majority, of which are vulnerable gray nomads. Broome Hospital only has about 35 hospital beds or so and it is a 3-day drive to Perth. If during an uncontained and unpredictable deadly viral outbreak, you pour 20,000 vulnerable gray nomads into a town that only has 35 hospital beds, not all of which are unused anyways, it doesn't take even second grade maths to understand what could happen and why the Shire of Broome and the state government wanted to cut off that possibility.

It would be a potentially good idea for you to investigate caravan storage and finding built accommodation in Adelaide, on a short (6-month) lease or so. You will be a lot more comfortable that way, and a lot safer as you won't be using communal facilities if your caravan is dependent on that (as government has identified this as a concerning potential transmission vector). This, anyways, has been the advice from LGAs to caravaners who are planning to stay in place, and it makes sense. The current situation is not one that is going to be resolved in a month, and Whyalla is still going to be there for you in a year.

That is not something snide. That is just the reality of the situation.

Last edited by carcajou; Mar 28th 2020 at 2:21 am.
carcajou is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2020, 11:07 am
  #178  
snɐןɔ ʎʇıuɐs
 
GarryP's Avatar
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,558
GarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond reputeGarryP has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by carcajou
Louie, you need to listen to the advice and directives of the government and health authorities and STAY HOME.
I don't think you, or the politicians, are listening. The world is not as you, and the politicans, seem to think - the world has moved on and the old mental models are dangerously obsolete. That ignorance, and blaming the outsider, is going to kill people. The idea of circling the wagons doesn't really work anymore, we are a global world, and borders are not what they were. Drawing tighter and tighter bounds doesn't fix the real problem - which is we interact.
GarryP is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2020, 11:52 am
  #179  
Crazy Cat Lady
 
moneypenny20's Avatar
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
moneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond reputemoneypenny20 has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by Pollyana
Sadly thats very true, we often have to fight to make media aware of the world outside SEQ.
Police are monitoring out west,and SES are also active to make people aware of the rules.
Not been down there, I've been using the M1 but I hear the road blocks around Griffith Street, Coolie have been removed or no police presence. Apparently that area is in the too hard basket because there's no way to block those roads without messing all the roads about. I guess once we hit level 4 it's all redundant anyway????
moneypenny20 is offline  
Old Mar 28th 2020, 12:08 pm
  #180  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: May 2007
Location: England
Posts: 4,206
brits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond reputebrits1 has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Coronavirus - how's everyone doing?

Originally Posted by Lucas_Dad
Anyone sick? Everyone well? Anyone stressed? Anyone care?!

Now that grass-roots AFL has been cancelled, the Auskick centre I help out at has pushed back the start of the season until the end of May at the earliest. My 8yo has had all his other extra-curricular activities cancelled for now too. He's taking it really well.

I've struck lucky financially. I was worried about the potential of being put into lock-down and having to buy extra shopping on Newstart allowance. I'm on a really tight budget as it is, but two PPI claims back home have come good. I've received £1000 so far, which I have transferred over here into $. Most welcome I still have two claims outstanding that I'm hoping won't get too delayed by coronavirus, and should be for much more.

Stay we'll y'all
We are fine (touch wood) here in the 'high peak" shops have nearly full shelves, everyone are queing and keeping apart from each other, Our twin nephew and niece have to forgo their graduation from college and wondering about university bit both are volunteering as am I at a local hospital. We have had lovely weather this week and our son's are helping around the house as both cannot work at their school ....we are keeping an eye on our elderly neighbours and family ... It's a horrible virus and hopefully will soon be eradicated..🤞 take care, stay safe xx
brits1 is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.