dd wants to travel overseas alone...

[Deb in NZ]

My 18yod just visited home for a couple days as it's mid-year break here in NZ. She announced that when her classes end mid-November she wants to travel to Australia for a fortnight. We said that sounded fine, as her best friend moved to Tasmania 2 years ago & we knew that she had been wanting to visit. Well then dd sat down & laid out her proposed trip. She plans to spend 2-3 days in Sydney on the way (remember she's traveling alone!) staying at backpackers. Sydney has more people in it than the whole of NZ. Then after she'll go to Tasmania & spend a week with her friend dd wants to hike 20km alone across a big national park there before returning home to NZ. Well, I lost it. We were hardly talking by the time she left to return to school today. Dd thinks that we are dull, boring people who don't want her to have adventures. We want her to keep safe, while having fun. Dd also brought up her idea of taking up hitch hiking as an economical, adventureous way to get around :eek: She does not understand our concern :confused: Are dh & I worrying when we should take a step back. Dd is 18yo, but she's too trusting & although she's fit, she isn't very big. She's grown up hearing stories of dh & my years of living in the Pacific, but she's forgotten that we were in our 20's+ & were working overseas, so we were with organizations, not traveling alone as a teen. How do we handle this?????

 

TIA,

[Melissa in Australia]

I wouldn't have any trouble with her doing the bush-walking in Tassie. 20 km isn't far,she could easily walk that in a day. I would also encourage her to do the backpackers thing in Tassie instead of Sydney, just for the first time, it is a smaller city.

 

I was married at 18.

[Starr]

I hear you Mom. She has done a good job working out a plan but maybe she could modify it a bit. Stay somewhere safer, see if her friend has a friend with some time off or something. We are all safer when not alone and big cities take getting used to.

[Teachin'Mine]

Except for the hitchhiking, it sounds good. But then again, it's not my daughter who told me those are her plans. I'd probably react the same way you did. :tongue_smilie:

 

She's got the same adventurous spirit her parents had when they were younger. :D So, I think instead of fighting it, you would be better off preparing her. If she goes knowing what the dangers might be, then she'll be better able to avoid the problems and keep herself safe. It sounds like a great adventure! Maybe you can gift her with some traveling money so she won't resort to hitchhiking. :)

[Rosie_0801]

I wouldn't be happy with her hiking alone through a national park in winter, and would encourage her to look for a tour group. The rest is fine. Well, apart from the hitchhiking. That is not fine either. Sydney is just a city. It's not so different to home, it just has more people. If you've taught her not to walk down dark alleys by herself at night, I'm sure she'll be fine. I always was :) She'll meet up with people in the hostel and travel around with them, most likely.

 

Rosie

[Melissa in Australia]

I wouldn't be happy with her hiking alone through a national park in winter, and would encourage her to look for a tour group.

Rosie

I think she was planing on going in November.

[Rosie_0801]

I think she was planing on going in November.

 

Oh yeah, oops. The OP said that, huh... :001_rolleyes:

 

Bushbashing by oneself isn't a good idea whatever the weather, but if she wants to go on one of the walks around the lakes, there's likely to be plenty of people. There are a couple of really nice walks like that in quite safe places.

 

Rosie

[Deb in NZ]

Yeah....it is summer when dd plans to go. Dh reminded dd that tramping alone is NEVER a good idea. I think dd was more upset with dh when he agreed with my opinions. Hopefully she has calmed down a bit by then time we phone on sunday.

 

Dd has done quite a few tramps here with scouts / venturers, but never alone. She has made some good friends at polytech who are from around the world & have traveled extensively. But they are all guys. She doesn't see why being a girl changes things. Thanks for your insights. I have never spent much time in Aussie, only SYD airport to be honest & I wasn't very impressed with that ;) You've given me some things to think about.

 

Blessings,

[keptwoman]

I'd be comfortable with all of that except the hitchhiking. I did all those things at her age, except the hitchhiking and statistically that is pretty safe too. Could you suggest she looks at public transport and back packer buses?

With the hiking, I would be sure that she has a safety plan in place in terms of someone knowing when she departs and when she should be back.. it may even be calling you as she sets off an on her return, but just something. Also a basic first aid kit, and I'd encourage her to see if she can find someone else to hike with, but in the end, I'd still allow it alone.

But over all it's not a bad plan.

[lmrich]

I would encourage her to go on several 20K hikes alone before she goes. She will feel more prepared and gain a greater understanding of her needs. Next time she is home, sit down and watch the movie "Hitcher" with her. She will change her mind about hitch hiking quickly.

 

Also, this is so far away, a lot can happen between now and then. She might change her mind, people often do.

[kiana]

Other than the hitchhiking, it doesn't look that bad.

 

(Of course, I used to hitchhike every time my car broke down ... but I'd still scream in horror if my kid did it ... I didn't tell my mother about it, either :D)

[J-rap]

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Edited February 18, 2023 by J-rap