Because of its fantastic tourist attractions, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Gold Coast, many of the 640,000 Brits who come to Australia each year visit Queensland.
The vast majority of visits are completely trouble-free, but the sheer volume means that our Consular team in Brisbane are kept busy. Some people get ill, or have accidents, particularly in the sea with Australia’s unexpected rip-currents, and others become crime victims or fall foul of the law.
So a reception to mark our Consulate moving into new premises in downtown Brisbane was a chance to network with a range of local organisations with whom we work in providing consular support, from the police and state government to the surf life savers. Appropriately we held it at the Pig & Whistle, Brissie’s leading British pub.
It was also a chance to do some publicity to promote awareness of travel safety, particularly among the young backpacker community. We were helped by Brit Ben Southall, who has become a media celebrity since winning the “Best job in the world” competition, sponsored by Queensland Tourism, to spend 6 months as Island Caretaker on the Great Barrier Reef.
Ben interviewed me and Sam Woodhead, the 18 year old backpacker who was lost in the outback for three days in February, and survived by drinking his contact lens solution. We are going to put the video out on our own digital platforms and through Ben’s popular blog.
I focused my advice on lost or damaged passports – a common problem among the backpackers. I explained that in cases of genuine need we can provide an Emergency Travel Document, which is not a full passport but will allow a traveller to complete their journey.
But the best approach was for people to keep their passports in a safe place, make sure they are always valid and take other forms of ID when going out to bars and clubs. And, of course, I reminded viewers of the importance of travel insurance.