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Post by donnie1234 on May 24, 2013 1:27:43 GMT 7
Im a 32 year old male on a disability pension. Ive suffered from chronic fatigue for 16 years and got on it 3 years ago. Because of my illness ive never traveled and I really just want to get overseas somewhere for awhile, especially over the winter when the cold makes life even more miserable. I was just thinking of going to Thailand or somewhere cheap as i have no money and not being able to really travel-travel, I just want a complete change of scenery somewhere warmer. I have a couple of concerns though:
Will i lose my dis penson when i get back if im gone for 2-3 weeks?
I cant even sit through a movie because of my muscle pain and I have terrible insomnia. Would flying at night be better as its less crowded, quieter, and i can probably get up and walk more?
Do i need to contact centrelink before i go or when i get back or not at all?
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Post by Banker on May 24, 2013 1:43:58 GMT 7
Im a 32 year old male on a disability pension. Ive suffered from chronic fatigue for 16 years and got on it 3 years ago. Because of my illness ive never traveled and I really just want to get overseas somewhere for awhile, especially over the winter when the cold makes life even more miserable. I was just thinking of going to Thailand or somewhere cheap as i have no money and not being able to really travel-travel, I just want a complete change of scenery somewhere warmer. I have a couple of concerns though: Will i lose my dis penson when i get back if im gone for 2-3 weeks? I cant even sit through a movie because of my muscle pain and I have terrible insomnia. Would flying at night be better as its less crowded, quieter, and i can probably get up and walk more? Do i need to contact centrelink before i go or when i get back or not at all? Welcome to the forum. If you only leave for 2 to 3 weeks you will not loose your pension, you can stay away for 6 weeks without any problems. You must contact C/L if you plan on going overseas you must also notify them when you return, this can be done with a phone call but because I don't trust C/L I always go into the office. Do some research on the places you would like to go, keep in mind that in S.E. Asia we are coming into the wet or rainy season which may not be good for your illness. If it was me I would be most inclined to go to Bali its a better climate this time of the year. A trip to Bali will get your feet wet and give you more confidence in travel. I am sure Banjo will come on with some more advice for you.....He cant help himself.
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Post by Banker on May 24, 2013 1:46:59 GMT 7
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Post by Banker on May 24, 2013 1:55:01 GMT 7
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2013 3:52:02 GMT 7
Donnie:) Welcome to the forum mate and hope all goes well on your future holiday; Banker Boss has hit the nail on the head, and please feel free to ask the forum anything regards your concerns, anytime:) Cheers...
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Post by Banjo on May 24, 2013 4:07:56 GMT 7
Most people phone Centrelink to tell them they are leaving without a problem, I've probably averaged 3 departures a year for 12 years and never had them claim I left unannounced. The number to call is 131673.
When you book/check in ask for an aisle seat, some airlines you have to pay extra on booking but you can usually get this for nothing by checking in at the airport early. Then you can get up and wander around without climbing over people.
Bali might be drier this time of the year but you can always get out of the rain or buy an umbrella, Thailand, for example, may have other attractions besides drier weather.
Remember that your biggest expense is your plane fare, if you go for 2 weeks you may be kicking yourself when you have to leave and wish you'd stayed longer.
When you decide when and where to go, get back to us in the travel section and we may have some hotel, etc ideas for you.
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Post by Banker on May 24, 2013 4:41:12 GMT 7
The reason I said Bali and the dry weather is because of his illness C.F.S. it is very similar to depression and the last thing one needs is rainy and over cast days.
Thailand is getting expensive with the Oz $ going down and the B going up. One year ago I was getting 32B -$1, its now 28B =$1, so on my pension Im down 6,000B a month or about $200.
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Post by Banjo on May 24, 2013 4:56:22 GMT 7
True about Bali but the hordes of young Australians cavorting drunkenly in the streets every night can be equally depressing, I suppose it depends on what he wants to do; the Philippines can be a nice break but it can be a bit damp on occasions as well.
I suppose he is well aware of what aggravates his conditions now and make a decision accordingly.
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Post by howdo on May 24, 2013 8:13:04 GMT 7
Ha ha ha, you guys make us sound like a travel agents Roll up roll up for the next DSP specials.
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Post by Banjo on May 24, 2013 9:16:51 GMT 7
A few years of experience here mate, we been everywhere man......
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Post by donnie1234 on May 24, 2013 12:37:37 GMT 7
Some great replies here, thanks. Can i get some more info on the plane trip. Would a flight at 11 at night be less crowded? I fugure if it is then i can definitely have an aisle seat and just stand up more often. I even heard if its really quiet I can lie accross all the seats.
Also,when i get back from overseas, will centrelink not try and say "well you're well enough to travel, so you are well enough to work!" which perhaps is a fair assumption, but im also doing this out of desperation as i really need something unique and stimulating to break up my endlessly shit life.
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Post by Banjo on May 24, 2013 12:50:18 GMT 7
Mate the flights are usually booked the same day and night. A lot of people don't mind an overnight flight because it saves a hotel. Now days a lot of the airlines farm out passengers to other airlines if their flight is under booked, I used to often end up on British Airways after booking Qantas. Having said that you could get lucky, I quite often get an empty seat next to me which makes it more comfortable. If you are on the DSP already Centrelink won't bother you with that "well enough to travel" there's thousands doing it.
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Post by donnie1234 on May 24, 2013 14:18:32 GMT 7
And what about exchanging money? I just went to the bank and got a nab travelers card. I asked the guy if the exchange was accurate (because i noticed travelers cheques take a large chunk), and he said yes, and so i transferred 50 aud into 50 usd on my card to get it started and i got an atrocious exchange of 91.48. (currently 100 aud buy 97usd, not 91.48usd). What do you recommend?
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Post by Banjo on May 24, 2013 14:57:36 GMT 7
Never change money in Australia, if you're taking cash change it at your destination of choice.
Why would you want USD?
Most people now just use their Aussie ATM card where ever they are, the one your pension goes into. You can go mad worrying about fees and exchange rates.
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Post by donnie1234 on May 24, 2013 15:11:13 GMT 7
"Never change money in Australia, if you're taking cash change it at your destination of choice" - why is that? the exchange rate?
I dont know why i put it in usd. I had to put something on it to get it started and not knowing where i am going, i just went with the generic usd.
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