This week has been long. Really long and it’s only Monday night. So not a nice happy o lucky post tonight folks. A bit of a reality check!
As we are getting closer to our departure date (9 days. But no one is counting) there are a few things that we don’t really want to be thinking apart. Sick or injured pets/family members and bushfires are high on that list!
As we spent a lazy Sunday in a shopping center enjoying the somewhat free air conditioning we started to hear a few murmers about a bushfire in our old stomping grounds, Macedon Ranges. Gisborne to be exact. Within half an hour things had gone from Oh to bad to fuck what’s going on. We were over 45mins away from family, the farm and my horse. With no way to get into the affected area. Stressed? Just a little teeny tiny bit. Text messages and Facebook kept us updated with what was going on.
To cut a long, sleepless night story short, our family farm is ok and my horse is safe and happy in his paddock.
We had to put all our faith into others to make the best decisions during an emergency, with limited contact. Razaan is terrible to load onto a truck and even worse to put into a stable, so moving him wasn’t an option had it been available.
Razaan
Which made me think- How many of us don’t have these difficult discussions with our house sitters, family and friends before we leave? What happens if shit goes wrong at home and you are a plane ride away?
Before we leave for an international trip, even just to Kiwi-land, we have a detailed discussion we pet carers and family. There are detailed guides given for who to contact- family, vets an the levels of authority. I had to make the terrible decision to not allow colic surgery on Razaan if the need should ever arrive. It’s a heart breaking thing to think about this every happening. I know that he wouldn’t be able to cope with the post surgery recovery.
We are lucky that my parents live within an hours drive and my siblings are closer to provide help if needed.
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- Day time fires
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- Same location at night
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- View from above Melbourne Airport
Generally speaking, we have found that travelers take very little precautions when thinking about what could happen at home and what they need to do. We have full faith that our travel insurance will get our dead ass home if we needed it. But would you hop on a plane right away to come home to attend a funeral? Who’s funeral is important enough for a return flight home? Sometimes a return flight home may cost you more than what you have or maybe it sucks dry the last bit of your budget which was meant to give you another two weeks in Sth East Asia? A last minute flight home to Australia can be a financial killer.
If you have pets- Have you let your vet know that you are away and how much $$$ you authorize to be spent? Do you need to leave credit card details as a just in case?
Let us know below if you have any tips or tricks for dealing with sticky home situations while your off adventuring.
Traveling Honeybird 