Goodbye to 2020
To say that 2020 was not a good year to be a travel writer is an understatement. It was a year in which my colleagues and I considered an uncertain future, and learned to adapt and diversify, if and when we could. Patience and positive thinking became essential tools in a year when travel and tourism – our lifeblood in more ways than one – sputtered and stalled.
Travel, whether for business or pleasure, temporarily ceased. Airlines were grounded. Borders, both internationally and within Australia, were barricaded both literally and metaphorically. Passports gathered dust. Dreams and plans were mothballed for the duration, as the global pandemic brought us to a place we had never imagined. A world where we all stayed home, either by choice or by law.
Each year on this blog, I review my travels for the year. This one has been like no other, but despite the lack of international travel, it has had its own rewards.
I began my working year, not with travel but with an assignment for Frommer Media to write about the impact of the summer bushfires on some of Australia’s popular tourism destinations. As the long-time author of Frommer’s Australia, I couldn’t guess at this stage that my annual update would be cancelled for the foreseeable future, just the first of my regular gigs to disappear from my work calendar.
My first travel assignment of the year was a portent of what was to come: a short trip to a destination just a couple of hours from home. The place was Minjerrabah/North Stradbroke Island, one of the world’s largest sand islands, in Moreton Bay, just an hour’s drive and a 30 minute ferry ride from my home in Brisbane. The assignment: to snorkel with the manta rays that inhabit the waters around the island. And yes, it was every bit as amazing as it sounds (but that’s not me in the image!).
Snorkelling with manta rays off North Stradbroke Island, Queensland. Photo: David Biddulph, Manta Lodge and Scuba Centre.
In February, I made what was to be my only international trip of the year. Japan had been on my wish-list for a long time and I was thrilled to join a media group experiencing a tour with G Adventures. There were many highlights, from watching the snow monkeys bathe in hot springs near Nagano to the temples and gardens, the bustle of Tokyo, and a wonderful homestay with a Japanese family in Hagi. There was cycling, paper-making, shopping and hiking on massive sand dunes. So many surprises. We ended the trip in Kyoto, where I was thrilled to finally visit the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, famed for its 10,000 red torii gates.
By Easter, it was clear that this was not a good year to be a travel writer. Although some of my stories from previous trips were being published, this only served as a reminder of those brilliant days in places like Morocco, Austria and the Channel Islands. Would I ever get to them again? Long weeks at home relaxed into a slower pace; there were Scrabble games and jigsaw puzzles (even those brought reminders of places longed for).
At the end of May, after eight years of part-time tutoring in journalism at the University of Queensland (the last semester delivered online), I learned that this job too would no longer exist for me. My freelance pitches to editors took a different turn. What could I write about that would interest readers unable to travel too far from home? What was already in my notebook that would still be relevant to them? What local stories – travel, or not – could I write that would still sell? What blog posts could I write, just to keep that writing muscle flexed and in shape? These were tough but strangely tranquil months, while we watched the pandemic streak across the world, while staying relatively safe on our isolated continent. Walks around the neighbourhood showed we were not alone.
By July, although state border closures still prevented me from travelling outside the state of Queensland, work was starting to trickle in again. An assignment to the Sunshine Coast, about 90 minutes drive north of Brisbane, was accepted with alacrity and provided a welcome change of scenery. Sailing on a serene river, riding a vintage steam train and tasting local cheeses never seemed so exciting! And then there was a gorgeous hotel room, and restaurant meals!
In August, I took my first flight in five months. After taking the train from Brisbane to the outback Queensland town of Longreach (a 23-hour journey), I made the return trip by plane. Ironically, my assignment was a preview story of the 100th anniversary of Australia’s national airline, Qantas. The year had not been a good one for Qantas (or any other airline) either, and most of the celebrations were cancelled, but it was nevertheless an interesting time to be looking at the history of aviation in this country. Longreach was bustling with Queensland travellers taking advantage of the chance to see their own state.
Despite the joy of being on the road again, Australia’s tough border restrictions were keeping me from seeing the one person I missed most: my little grandson Ollie. Melbourne’s soaring number of Covid-19 cases (by Australian standards) and tough lockdown laws saw residents confined to their homes for almost four months, except for short periods each day and essential reasons. In September, Ollie turned two and on that day, the Victorian state government relaxed the lockdown laws a little, including the reopening of outdoor playgrounds! It was the best birthday present Ollie could have had! He’s also lucky enough to live close to the beach.
September also brought me another assignment, this time flying north to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Australian editors were seeking “local” stories, destinations accessible for readers who had put away their passports and were looking for places to explore closer to home. The Great Barrier Reef and the green of the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns, provided me with plenty of inspiration.
By the time the jacarandas bloomed all over Brisbane in October, I was again focussed on my own backyard and had made good progress during my “down-time” with my doctoral studies. My thesis had grown to nearly 60,000 words and I felt that in some ways the lack of travel (if not the lack of income) had been an unexpected opportunity to make progress with my studies. Always the glass-half-full view!
The last few months of the year have been quiet again, as the pre-Christmas time often is for my work. There have been local stories to write, and I was fortunate to end the working year on a high note with an assignment for an international publication. For a week, I drove through south-east Queensland’s Scenic Rim talking to tourism operators about their year. After years of drought, Mother Nature had ignited 2020 with devastating bushfires throughout the region. Then came Covid. But these passionate people are resilient and resourceful and their optimism is infectious. Their stories are inspiring and instructive, and those are the vibes I’m intent on taking into 2021 with me.
Whether this prediction – whichever spin you put on it – comes true or not, may the coming year be kinder to us all. To my friends and followers – wherever in the world you may be – I wish you a safe and happy future. Thank you for reading this (somewhat intermittent) blog this year, and I look forward to hearing from you. Happy New Year!
A Glass Half Full 
18 Responses to “Goodbye to 2020”
Great insights, Lee. I think you will find more work this year as travel operators try to rebuild their businesses. All the best with that thesis! Bob
Thank you Bob! I certainly hope things improve. Publications are suffering from a drop in travel advertising and that affects their ability to buy freelance work. But I live in hope that things will improve.
Great post Lee. COVID has affected all of us in different ways. It was a good time to be retired or working from home but I did miss my grandchildren. Our second granddaughter was born in January over in England. We were suppose to travel to London in March but everything was cancelled. I’ve yet to meet her in person but we see each other at least 2 to 3 times a week via Whatsapp. What would we have done without technology?
Ah yes, indeed, Carol. Technology has been a blessing. I also have regular Whatsapp calls with my daughter and grandson, and it’s lovely to be able to see them and not just hear them! Even though we are in the same country, the rules about travel are changing so often it’s hard to plan anything with any certainty. Let’s hope 2021 lets us both get to see our grandchildren.
What a year it has been, it’s been so difficult on so many fronts hasn’t it. Not being able to see loved ones the toughest. Hopefully things will start to open up a bit more this year (fingers crossed!). You have some amazing places on your doorstep though, your pictures are lovely! And from what we see and hear Australia seems to have handled it all a bit better than some places, we are struggling with soaring numbers here in the UK and it all feels a bit bleak at present. But we have to be hopeful that this year will bring better things. Happy New Year to you! PS – good luck with your thesis, can I ask what it is on?
We have fared better than some other places, that is for sure! We watch the UK and USA case figures with dismay and are grateful our leaders have taken strong action, even if it can be frustrating at times. And sometimes things change daily. I share you hope that things will improve globally for everyone’s sakes. My thesis is on ethics in travel journalism – and I am nearly finished! All going well, I hope to graduate in mid-2021. Thank you for the good wishes – and Happy NY to you too!
I wish our leaders had taken those strong actions here, instead of these half hearted ones because they are trying to please everyone. If there was ever a time for strong measures it’s now and whilst it would not be fun, I think in the long run, as you have demonstrated over there, it would be worth it. But it’s not happening…sigh… Anyway, enough of all that! Your thesis sounds really interesting, will it be published when you are finished? My partner did a PhD so I know second hand how much work it is :-) It sounds fascinating though, wishing you lots of luck with it!
Thank you so much! It is a lot of work, but I am nearing the end, thankfully. Wishing you all the best and hoping the vaccine does its work.
It sounds like it was a really unusual year for you. I guess the impact on travel has highlighted that maybe we had got used to taking it for granted. We managed a couple of trips in 2020 and they stand out as real highlights of the year.
Good to see the Channel Islands getting a mention! Best wishes for 2021 from Jersey
Oh yes, the Channel Islands were one of my highlights of 2018! I had a week there and loved it. My grandson is the proud owner of a Guernsey teddy called Bertie Bear, and he drags it everywhere with him (although trucks are fast taking over). I hope Jersey is not too badly affected by Covid-19 – there’s a definite advantage in being an island during these times. Best wishes to you!
I miss my grandson in London. Can’t travel yet.
That is the hardest thing, I think, Sherry. Missing family who live in places we can’t travel to – yet. Let’s hope for a better outcome in 2021.
Indeed 😏🤞
You show us how we can survive, and find opportunities in difficult times. Great post Lee.
Thanks Dany. The struggle to survive is ongoing, but I am always optimistic!
Thanks for the update Lee, may the winds of change blow your travel sails in 2021 :) Open to Kingscliff visitors if you looking for a short trip. Melissa xx
Great to hear from you Melissa. Hope you are enjoying life at Kingscliff – and that once thing settle down, I might get there to visit! Stay safe x
You have a wonderful year in 2020, I love most of your travel destination especially in Japan. Wishing you the good things in this year 2021 and continue to enjoy life. More travel and adventure to come