Would u Be a Good Overseas Traveller

7/27/2019 Would u Be a Good Overseas Traveller

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MM any teachers set students a travelexercise often as part of a geography or

culture unit of work.

This unit covers a number of aspects of overseas

travel that can be integrated in such units

though the focus is very much on a non-

traditional aspect or focus of using Australianconsular services overseas.

The unit concentrates on helping students

appreciate the extent of the consular services

available to them, and the nature of their

services to Australian citizens.

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Place and SpaceResources

Natural and Socia l Systems

Student Learning Outcomes Inquiry sequence

At the end of this unit students will be better able to:

describe and map the location of Australian consular services;

define the nature of the assistance given by them;

appreciate the legal situation of Australian citizens in other

countries; analyse strategies and approaches appropriate in a variety of

circumstances to travellers overseas.

Investigation 1Where are Australian consular services located?

Investigation 2

What would you do if . . .

This is the third of three articles for 2000 that

explore a key element of Australia the way it

organises Australias national interests and its

international obligations.

The three articles look at particular aspects of

our international situation that affect young

peoples lives today.

The first issue, on Australias place in Global

Warming, was in STUDIES number 1 for 2000.

An article on Australia and open markets or

trade liberalisation is on page 3 of this issue.

The starting point for each article is the rich

resource available on the Department of Foreign

Affairs and Trade web site

http://www.dfat.gov.au

Take a look at the site, and you will find much

that is usable in your classrooms.


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6Where are Australian

consular services located?

Most countries have official representatives in

other countries of the world.These are usually

called diplomatic or consular representatives.

1 List some reasons why a country might

want to have a representative in other

countries.

An Australian consular service is where a

representative of the Australian government islocated in another country.This may be through

an Embassy, a High Commission or a Consulate.

The consular office is usually staffed by a mixture

of Australian citizens who are posted from

Australia to the receiving country, and locally-

engaged staff who are usually expatriate

Australians or third country nationals people

who are citizens of the country in which the

consular service is located.

Look at the list on pages 8183 of cities and

countries where there are Australian consular

services. In some cases there are consular

services in more than one city in a country.

2 Match the cities with the appropriate

country.

3 Mark the cities on the blank map on

page 90.

4 Describe the pattern of location of

Australian consular services (by continent

or regional area.)

5 Suggest reasons why this pattern might

exist.

6 Are there any surprises in this list? If so,

explain why it is unexpected that there is a

consular service there, and try and explain

why the service might exist. Looking at

country information on the Department of

Foreign Affairs and Trade website at

http://www.dfat.gov.au will be an

excellent starting point for this research.

Investigation 1 Investigation 1

EmbassyEmbassy The usual term for the main representative office of one country in the capital city ofanother; usually headed by an Ambassador.

High CommissionHigh Commission Equivalent to an Embassy.This is the main representative office of aCommonwealth country (e.g.Australia, Canada) in the capital city of another Commonwealth

country (e.g. India, the United Kingdom); headed by a High Commissioner.

ConsulateConsulate A lower level representative office, usually located in a city outside the capital city (e.g.in Indonesia Australia has an Embassy in Jakarta, and a Consulate in Den Pasar and Bali); headed by aConsul.

Honorary ConsulateHonorary Consulate Some Australian Consulates are headed by an Honorary Consul.This isusually a private businessperson (mostly an Australian citizen) who agrees to some limited consular

functions on a part-time basis, in a city where Australia cannot afford to send an Australia-basedrepresentative.Australia currently has 42 Honorary Consuls around the world.


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8List of location of Australian consular services

Country Location/s

Argentina

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belgium

Brazil

Brunei DarussalamBulgaria

BurmaCambodiaCanada

ChileChina

ColombiaCroatia

CyprusCzech Republic

Denmark

East TimorEcuadorEgyptEstoniaFijiFormer Yugoslav Republicof MacedoniaFranceGermany

Greece

HungaryIndia

Indonesia

Iran

IrelandIsraelItaly

AmmanAnkaraApia

Athens

Atlanta

AucklandBaliBalikpapan

Banda Seri BegawanBangkokBarcelona

Beijing

Beirut

Belgrade

Berlin

BogotaBostonBrasilia

Bridgetown

BrusselsBucharestBudapestBuenos AiresCairoCape TownCaracasChiang MaiColomboCopenhagenDamascusDenver

DiliDubaiDublinDurbanEdinburghFrankfurtFukuoka CityGenevaGuadalajaraGuangzhouGuayaquil

Gulshan (near Dhaka)HanoiHarareHo Chi Minh City


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hCountry Location/sJapan

JordanKenyaKiribatiKorea (South)

LaosLatviaLebanonLithuaniaMalaysia

MaltaMauritiusMexico

MicronesiaMozambiqueNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew Zealand

Nigeria

NorwayPakistan

Papua New Guinea

PeruPhilippines

PolandPortugal

RomaniaRussia

Samoa

Saudi ArabiaSingapore

Slovenia

Hong KongHoniaraHonoluluHouston

IslamabadIstanbulJakartaKarachiKathmandu

Kota Kinabalu

Kuala LumpurKuchingKyivLaeLagosLima

Lisbon

Ljubljana

London

Los Angeles

Madrid

Malta

ManchesterManilaMaputoMedanMexico City

MiamiMilanMonterreyMontevideoMoscowMumbai

NagoyaNairobiNew DelhiNew YorkNicosia

Noumea

Nuku AlofaOsakaOsloOttawaPapeeteParisPenang

Phnom Penh


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jCountry Location/s

www

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides general travel hints and advice, as well as country

updates that list particular things to be aware of in particular countries.

See http://www.dfat.gov.au

Solomon Islands

South Africa

Spain

Sri LankaSwedenSwitzerland

SyriaTahitiTaiwanThailand

TongaTurkey

UkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom

United States of America

UruguayVanuatuVenezuela

Vietnam

Yugoslavia

Zimbabwe

Pohnpei

Port Louis

Port Moresby

Port VilaPraguePretoriaPusanRangoon

Riga

Riyadh

RomeSan Francisco

Santiago de ChileSao Paolo

SapporoSendaiSeoul

SevilleShanghaiSkopje

Sofia

StockholmSuvaTaipeiTallinnTarawa

TehranTel AvivThe HagueThessalonikiTokyoTorontoVancouver

VientianeVilnius

VladivostokWarsawWashingtonWellington

Zagreb


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a

While the majority of consular cases are routine, all

require a swift and compassionate response from theDepartment in order to protect the wellbeing ofAustralians, save lives in some instances, and meet the

needs of families in Australia left anxious and traumatised.The following cases were among the 66 161 handled in

19992000, of which 20 741 dealt with Australians indifficulty.

Following the deaths of 14 young Australians in theSwiss canyoning accident in July 1999 the largest

single loss of young Australian lives in peacetime theDepartment assumed a major role in representing the

interests of the victims and their families to the Swissauthorities. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, theDepartment provided strong support to the Australian

families and survivors in their dealings with the Swiss.TheDepartment later brought Swiss lawyers to Australia to

brief the families about progress of the investigation intothe causes of the tragedy and about the families legal rights.

1 Identify the types of situations which are

mentioned here (e.g. disaster, crime, etc.).

2 Why would consular help be essential in

each case?

A Consular Case Study:

Hospitalised in Thailand

In December 1999, a young Australian was severely

injured in a bungalow fire on a resort island in Thailandwhere he had been holidaying. Because the mans burnswere so severe and could not be treated locally, consular

staff from the Australian Embassy, in consultation withthe Departments 24-hour Consular Operations Centre,arranged for him to be moved urgently by air ambulance

to a hospital in Bangkok where there is a specialistburns unit.

In the first instance the costs of that evacuation werecovered by the Department to help save the mans life, but

because he did not have travel insurance he and his familyultimately had to pay. Each year a number of Australians

are forced to extend personal credit and sell assets sometimes their homes to fund evacuations of this type.In each case this would have been avoided by taking out

appropriate travel insurance.

Meanwhile, the Department had informed the mans family

in Australia of the accident. Family members travelledurgently to Thailand where they were met on arrival byconsular staff and taken to the mans bedside. Consular

officers introduced family members to treating doctorsand explained how the local hospital system worked.

The mans injuries, which remained life threatening for a

considerable time,kept him in intensive care in theBangkok hospital for another three months. Throughoutthis time the Embassy monitored the mans condition and

remained in close touch with family members whileassisting them in their contact with doctors. The mans

condition improved sufficiently for him to be repatriatedto Australia in March 2000. Embassy staff accompaniedhim and his family to the airport and worked closely with

local authorities to facilitate his departure. The man and

his family have expressed their profound appreciation tothe Embassy and the Department for the support given tothem throughout this traumatic experience.

3 List the different types of assistance given

by consular officials in this case.

Investigation 2 Investigation 2

M

The Department continues to confer regularly with the

families and to provide them with comprehensiveinformation and advice about Swiss legal developments.

Staff in Canberra and many of DFATs overseas missions,particularly Islamabad and New Delhi, worked through the

Christmas-New Year period in managing responses to the

hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane with an Australianamong the hostages, all of whom were later released.This

work involved liaison with various parties including thefamily and employers of the Australian involved.

Other serious matters dealt with by the Department and

its posts included two kidnappings overseas; earthquakesin Greece,Turkey and Taiwan; assisting the largecommunities of Australian tourists and expatriates in

Indonesia during the crisis in that country; and assistingAustralians and their families affected in variety of cases

of murder, sexual assault, piracy, robbery, medicalevacuation and arrest and detention.

What would you do if . . .

Most Australians will never have need to use the services of an Australian consularoffice overseas. However, there could be situations in which you, as a traveller, will need help.

The following situations show some cases where this has occurred.

Look at this description of what happened in the recent tragedy involving young people (including Australians) at Interlakenin Switzerland, and answer the questions which follow.


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4 What difficulties would have been faced by:

the patient

his family

without on the ground support?

5 This case shows the benefits of travel

insurance. How would it have helped in this

situation?

Imagine that you are on the trip of a lifetime

a 12 month backpacking tour of the world.

You think you are a pretty good traveller but

lets see how good.

6 Decide what you would do in the following

situations.Then look at pages 8889 to see

what you should have done.

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Situation Your response

1 A young man or woman in a nightclub asks

you to light a marijuana joint for him / her.

2 You are on a crowded train in the Paris

underground. Suddenly there is a disturbance

near you.You look, and as you do you feel a

slight bumping against you.

3 You are in a crowded square in Rome.You put your

bag down under a park bench.

4 Your parents were born in another country.

You were born in Australia.You have dual

nationality.You go to visit their country of birth.

While there you are arrested and told that

because of your parents nationality you

have to serve two years of military service.

5 You need local currency. Some street dealers are

offering a better exchange rate for your US dollars

than the official exchange rate.

6 A fellow tourist approaches. She says she needs

a loan, and will repay it as soon as she gets home.

She will send it to you.

7 You are at a youth hostel.You wash your clothes,

and leave them to dry on a common balcony

while you go touring the local area.

8 A taxi picks you up at the airport.The helpful

driver puts your luggage in the boot.You pay,

step out and the taxi drives off with your luggage!


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dSituation Your response9 You suddenly discover that your passport is lost

or stolen.

10 You are suddenly taken ill.You do not know the

local language, or how to contact a doctor.

11 You are carrying prescription medication.

At a customs check, this arouses great suspicion

among the local police.

12 You are a woman in a country where dress

standards are different from those in Australia.

You are not sure whether it is OK to

wear shorts.

13 You are involved in an argument about a bill in a

restaurant.There is a disturbance, and you are

arrested.

14 A new friend you met the previous day was very

hospitable, and showed you all over the area.The

next day he asks you to take a package for him

to a relative of his at your next destination therelative will be there to meet you and show you

around this new place.

15 Local law forbids the consumption of alcohol. It is

a hot day, you are over 18, and the local caf owner

gives you a cold beer from under the counter, saying

that as a foreigner you are allowed to drink alcohol.

16 You are planning your trip.You are keen to go to a

particular country where there has been some

unrest recently. It is a place you really want to

go to.

Work out your own response, and then go to

pages 8889 to check what the appropriate

response is in each case.

There are certain things that Australian consular

offices can and cannot do for its citizens

overseas.

7 Look at the following information, and thendecide if the situations that follow could or

could not be dealt with by the consular

office. N


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cA consular office can . . . A consular office can . . . True / False

Pay your hotel bills if you run out of money

Investigate crimes to prove you innocent

Witness and verify signatures on legal documents for you

Provide assistance if you become seriously ill

Obtain a work permit for you

Represent you in court

Visit you in prison

Recommend a particular lawyer or doctor for you

Arrange travel bookings for you

Can provide an interpreter for you


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fWhat should you have done?

In real life you should have . . .

Situation 1

Its up to you, but in a recent case in Thailand involving a young Australian man he was arrested by the

woman an undercover cop and sent to jail.

Situation 2

You have had your pocket picked! In situations like this always stand with your valuables protected

for example keep your hand in your pocket, or stand so that your hand is pressed against your pocket.

Situation 3

The bag could disappear! Always keep the bag between your feet.

Situation 4

Try to contact the local Australian consular office you have a right to contact them under

international law. If you are travelling on your Australian passport the authorities should also contact

them. But ideally you should have checked on the situation before you left Australia.

Situation 5

You are taking a risk. Sometimes the money will be counted out too fast for you to notice a problem;

or bills will be palmed (held back secretly).Always check the amount before walking away. It may also

be against the law to change money at other than official change offices!

Situation 6

Its up to you. But in these cases the money usually never arrives.

Situation 7

Clothes walk. Dry your clothes inside, not outside.

Situation 8

Contact the police or the Australian Embassy or Consulate.You should also hope that you

remembered to take out travel insurance before you left Australia! Next time keep the luggage inside,

or do not pay the bill until you have got your luggage out first.

Situation 9

Contact the local Australian Embassy or Consulate.They can issue you with an emergency one or a

temporary travel document.You should also keep a photocopy and record of your passport number

and other important documents (such as itinerary, travel insurance documents, important phone

numbers, credit cards) and keep them separate from the documents themselves.

Situation 10

Contact the local Australian Embassy or Consulate.They will provide a list of doctors (but will not

recommend any particular one.) You should also now hope that you have travel insurance which covers

your medical costs!

D


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gSituation 11

Always have a letter from your GP stating that the medicines you are carrying are for medicinal

purposes.The letter should also state the names and quantities of the products you are carrying. But

check carefully about medication with your travel agent before you go, and also with the Embassy of

the country you are visiting. In some countries medicine containing codeine is illegal.

Situation 12

Look at what the locals are wearing. Look at what other tourists are wearing and how locals react to

them.When in doubt, ask for advice, and go for safety.

Situation 13

Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations you are entitled to have access to your consular

representative.Ask to be put in touch with the consul. If there is no Australian or New ZealandEmbassy or Consulate then ask to contact the Canadian or British one.

Situation 14

Never carry packages or luggage for another person through Customs at airports, bus depots or

across borders.You put yourself at risk of being used to transport drugs or other prohibited items, and

may go to jail.

Situation 15

Do not drink.While your actions may be legal in Australia, when you are in a foreign country their laws

apply to all people in that country.

Situation 16

Before you go check the DFAT web site.There is information on the site about all countries. DFAT

regularly publishes warnings about places where Australians are advised not to go.

Conclusion Conclusion

Here are four key messages that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade say are essential

for safe and enjoyable travel overseas:

Travel sensibly to travel safely

Have travel insurance

Do not carry drugs

Obey local laws

Imagine that you have been asked by DFAT to prepare a travel brochure for young people

which gets across these four messages. Choose one, and develop the wording and images that

you think would have an impact with your peers.

GH


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