Debra’s advice to elderly travellers
grateful to be able to relive their shared childhoods and youths, and reflect on why they and their ancestors had made the decisions they did.
In Louth, the siblings chatted to distant relatives, historians and shopkeepers, in an effort to discover more about their father’s side of the family. They’re still unsure why their grandfather immigrated to New Zealand at 21, but feel the trip provided a few more pieces for the puzzle.
Debra found Louth, with its typically English brick and stone buildings lining narrow lanes ‘‘old but pretty’’, as well as ‘‘safe and friendly’’.
Her favourite parts of the trip were their days in Southampton where they visited her mother’s family and friends.
‘‘We spent many hours sitting in the backyard at my cousin’s place, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the rare English heatwave and, the next day at my mum’s cousin’s house, doing the same with lots of family members visiting.’’
Another highlight was visiting the River Hamble, where Mac had been living on a yacht with his mates when he met Debra’s mum.
‘‘Mum was a local girl and must have hung out at the yacht club hoping to meet a sailor. She probably didn’t count on meeting one who had sailed there from New Zealand,’’ Debra says.
Aside from the incident at the Bali airport, the only other time Debra felt things were getting out of hand was when they had to take one of her aunties to the A&E with a suspected blood clot.
‘‘They carried out a blood test and ultrasound very quickly and decided she was fine and discharged her,’’ Debra says, noting that, because of a reciprocal agreement between the UK and New Zealand, they didn’t have to pay for the visit.
Debra was so exhausted when they got back she felt like she needed another holiday, but is grateful for what she thinks may have been ‘‘a once-ina-lifetime’’ opportunity.
‘‘We’re not planning another trip. I’ve said to them ‘‘next time, let’s just rent a bach and relax.’’
Alick and Patsy still have itchy feet though – when we spoke to Debra they were set to head off on a two-week bus tour in the United States.
Debra would advise others considering a similar trip to go for it, saying that obstacles to travelling with older people are relatively small and are worth taking the trouble to overcome.
‘‘The main benefit of the trip was to all spend time together.
‘‘To have a wonderful adventure at the same time was a fantastic bonus … The good times were great. We had a lot of laughs, often at ourselves, and the not-so-good times were just bumps in the road.’’
She’s lucky, she says, that they let her tag along. ❚ Seek advice from your GP before travelling.
❚ Research travel insurance carefully. It can be hard to find the right cover if you have a pre-existing condition, but it’s not impossible.
❚ If you can, bring an able-bodied travel companion.
❚ Take advantage of services offered, such as wheelchairs at airports.
❚ Don’t be afraid to ask if you need help.